The Legend of Zelda: The Three Heroes of Time
by Princess Esther of Hyrule
Summary: *Chapter 8 up!* Esther is in a battle with a trainer. Can she succeed in stealing the trainer's pokemon? Estakishipping! R & R!!
1. Prologue

Prologue to the Triforce Trilogy: By Giovanni_is_Hot (Cassandra Bryars)  
  
Note: If you read this before you read "The Triforce Trilogy," It will make A LOT more sense, such as why Esther (known as Hadassah in most of this prologue) and Link know of their Hyrulean background. Please, take the time to read this. You'll be glad you did.  
  
*****  
  
The rain lightly pelted against the window as Elizabeth Bryars looked outside. She sighed sadly. "I hate rainy days. They're always so gloomy, and not good for keeping 3 little girls entertained." "Yeah, Liz. But at least we're all together." Her husband, Joshua, said, drawing her close to his body.  
  
"Mommy, mommy! Something outside on doorstep! It look like basket!" Little 2-year-old Deborah said. "A basket?!" Their mother echoed. "Are you sure?" Joshua asked. "Yeah, I saw it too!" Hannah piped up. "Ruth!" Elizabeth called to her oldest daughter. "Yes, Mother?" The 3-year-old answered. "Go see what that is, please, and bring it in." The mom said. "Yes, ma'am." Ruth replied politely as she went to fetch the object.  
  
When she came in, they were shocked to see two little faces in the basket. "Oh my gosh! Somebody left babies on our doorstep!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Just then, one of the babies awoke and began to cry. "Mom? Where's mom?" The little girl asked, looking around frantically. "I'm afraid I don't know, sweetie, but I'll take care of you." Liz replied, picking up the 3- year-old. The other toddler then awoke to his sister's voice. He then did the same thing, but was comforted that his sister was there. Joshua then picked up the little boy and held him also.  
  
"There's a note in here." Ruth said, moving the blanket to reveal a piece of paper. "What does it say?" The dad asked, rocking the boy back and forth. "It says, 'Dear Family, I have entrusted these two young children into your hands. I can no longer provide for them and wish for them to have a good home. They are twins and are both 3 years old; their birthday is October 21st. The little girl is Hadassah Esther and the boy is Link. I trust that you can provide for them and love them. I have included a cape with an emblem that hooks it together. Please give this to Little Esther when she reaches the age of 10. I have also included a list of what they're allergic to and what they like & don't like. Please take good care of them. Love, Alvina, their mother'." Ruth said.  
  
"Mommy's gone?" Little Hadassah asked sadly. "Looks like it, sis." Link said. "Don't worry. We'll take care of you two." Joshua said, smiling. "Yes, we will." Elizabeth agreed. "Hadassah, Link. I'm Elizabeth. You can call me Mommy if you'd like. This is Joshua, you can call him Daddy. This is Hannah, Deborah, and Ruth. They'll be your step-sisters, so to speak." "Hi." Hadassah said quietly. "Hey." Link replied softly, still staying close to his sister.  
  
4 months later...  
  
"We'll be back soon, about three hours. You think you can watch all of them and those little boys?" Elizabeth asked the babysitter, who nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It shouldn't be a problem with the older kid around." She said, pointing to a young boy, about 10 years of age, with dark hair and tanned skin. "Well, okay. Bye, Kiyla." The mom said, and then turned to her children. "You be good now, you hear?" "Yes ma'am." They said. "Okay. Bye kids!" She said, leaving. "Bye mom!" They said in unison.  
  
Hadassah immediately noticed a younger boy playing by himself. His hair was jet-black and he had the most beautiful brown eyes. He wore jean shorts and a plain red T-shirt. She automatically took a liking to him and went over to where he was, playing with some blocks. "Hi. I'm Hadassah. What's your name?" She asked, sitting next to him. "Giovanni John Rocket." He said quietly, not looking up at her. "How old are you?" She asked, kind of discouraged that he wouldn't even look at her. "5 years old. I'll be six 3 months from now, in October." He replied, this time looking at her. "What day?" She asked, glad to see him looking at her. "The 20th." He answered, stopping what he was doing. "That's cool! Mine and my brother's is the 21st!" She said happily. "Huh. That is cool. You and you brother twins?" He asked, glad to have someone to talk to.  
  
"Yeah. His name is Link. Where do you live?"  
  
"7825 Tribble Creek drive."  
  
"That means we're neighbors! I live at 7820 Tribble Creek Drive!"  
  
"Cool!" He said happily. They conversed for a while longer. And with that first conversation, they began to forge an unbreakable friendship that would stand the test of time.  
  
**6 years later**  
  
"Tag, you're it!" 9-year-old Hadassah said, tagging her friend. "Not for long, Essie!" 11-year-old Giovanni laughed, chasing after her.  
  
The two were in a field near his house. Pallet Town was a great place to raise young children, with the crime rate so low. The setting sun's rays fell upon the field, making the wheat appear golden. Giovanni tackled her and together, they rolled down the hill. They landed upon the soft grass, laughing at their antics.  
  
As they laughed, a white Mercedes pulled up to the field, followed by what looked like a moving van. A Black haired woman in a red suit stepped out, looking towards the field. "Giovanni John Rocket! Get up here now! We're leaving!" Madam Boss yelled.  
  
The young boy frowned as his mother called him. Hadassah looked at him, confused. "Why must you go?" "We're...moving to Viridian City." He said, sighing. "Moving!? You never told me you were moving!" She said, hurt filling her voice. "I didn't think she was serious, until now." He said, shaking his head. "Oh, Giovanni! I'm going to miss you so much!" She wailed, hugging him tightly. "And I'm going to miss you just as much, Es." He replied, returning the embrace.  
  
"We're leaving in 3 minutes, whether you're with us or not!" His mother called. Giovanni looked at Hadassah and took her hands in his. "Someday, we'll see each other again. Someday..." He said, looking into her violet eyes, which were filled with tears. "Please, don't cry, Essie. I don't want my last moments with you to be remembered by tears. I'll try to visit you, if I can. I promise you that." "You will?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
"2 minutes, Giovanni!" His mother called angrily. Giovanni looked up the hill and frowned. "Sheesh. She thinks it's her prime goal in life to keep us apart." "Yeah. At least Viridian's not too far; it's only...50 miles, I think." Hadassah said. "Actually, it's more like 35, but anyway." Giovanni corrected.  
  
He then pulled a Pokéball out of his pocket. "I want you to have this, Es. To remember me by." He handed it to Hadassah, closing her hand around the small object. "What is it?" She asked. "My Spearow. It's not as temperamental as regular Spearow, which is a good thing." He said, smiling. "Oh, no! I couldn't take this! You've had it since you became a trainer six months ago!" She replied, handing it back to him. "No, Es. I want you to have it. I know that you've always admired it, and that you've wanted one of your own. Please, take it and care for it. Treat it like you would treat me." He responded, placing the ball back in her hand.  
  
Hadassah fought back the hot tears she felt coming, but to no avail. "Thank you. Thank you so much..." She said, hugging him again. "I better go, before they leave without me." Giovanni said sadly, returning the embrace once more. They ran up the incline together just as their guardian, Hadassah's adoptive mom, Elizabeth, called to her. "Hadassah, come on! We need to go home now! It's almost suppertime!" "Man. I hate going home." Hadassah said to herself. "I guess this is it then, Gio." She said sadly. "Yeah, I guess so. I hope we see each other again, Hadassah. You're the best friend I've ever had." He said, hugging her again.  
  
"Well, I guess I better be going. Oh, before I do, you know that picture of us together that our parents took 2 days ago?" "Yeah, I remember that." She replied, nodding. "Well, let's keep a copy of the photo with us all the time. That way we can remember each other." Giovanni suggested. "I love that idea! I'm going to keep a copy of it forever! I'm never going to leave it at home!" She exclaimed. "Well, I guess this is goodbye." He said, shaking her hand, then hugging her. "Yeah, I guess so...goodbye, Giovanni. I'll never forget you." She said, tears rolling down her face. "Goodbye, Essie. I'll always remember you." He replied sadly. He then walked to his mother's car and got in. "Goodbye, Hadassah! I'll miss you!" He yelled as the car drove away. "Goodbye, Gio! I'll miss you too! I'll never forget you!" She yelled to him as the Mercedes drove over the horizon. Hadassah's mom came over to her and held her as she wept quietly.  
  
"Someday, we'll see each other again. Someday..." Giovanni's words stuck in Hadassah's mind as she held Spearow's pokéball to her heart. "Never again will I go by Hadassah. I am now just Esther." She told her mother, who, even though she didn't understand why, nodded. "Someday, we'll see each other again." Esther whispered as she turned to face the horizon.  
  
"Someday..."  
  
**A year later...**  
  
Thunder crashed, the wind howled, and the rain poured as the 10-year-old brunette ran from her home, her siblings, her life, all left behind in Pallet. She had just become a trainer as of that morning, but her parents had been in a terrible car crash on Sunday that had killed them both. She just couldn't stay there any longer. She now regarded Pallet Town as a place of death: The death of her friendship with Giovanni, whom she hadn't heard from in ages, and the death of her parents.  
  
"Where are you, God? I thought you loved me, Lord. Was I wrong? Are you testing me? Is this punishment for something I've done? Why did you take Giovanni from me, and then my foster parents? Why Lord, oh, why?" She prayed helplessly, and then she rebuked herself for asking Him such a thing. "Forgive your servant, Lord, for ever thinking such a thing. I'm just so confused. I forget that in Your Word, You said that all things work for the good of those that love Him. I just don't see how good can come of this. Forgive me for doubting you, Lord God. Help me, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen." She prayed again.  
  
Running through the rain, she tripped upon a rock and fell into the mud face first. She got up slowly, wiping the mud from her face. As she began running again, hot tears burned in her eyes. She fought desperately against them, but she felt so hurt inside, and the tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
The rain got harder and forced Esther off the road and onto the roadside. She found an abandoned house with a porch right next to the road and took shelter under the awning. She lay down under it and fell into an uneasy slumber, ridden with nightmares.  
  
*****  
  
"I appreciate you driving me to Pallet Town, Bruno." 12-year-old Giovanni said to his brother as they drove the Mustang through the rain. "Well, I know how much you miss your old friend. Just remember, if Mom finds out, it's your fault." His 17-year-old brother replied. "Not all my fault though, 'Cause you're the one driving, not me." Giovanni smiled. "Yeah, but it was your idea, little bro." Bruno responded. "Hmm...Good poin...hey what's that!?" The 12 year old asked, looking out the window. "It looks like...stop the car!" Bruno slammed on the brakes, causing them to stop almost immediately. "What? What is it?" He asked as Giovanni hopped out of the car. "It's Essie, Bruno! Help me get her into the car!" Giovanni yelled. "Huh? Okay..." His brother said, hopping out also.  
  
*****  
  
"Where have you young idiots been?" Madam Boss asked angrily as they walked in. "You two were stupid to go out in that storm!" "Sorry, Mum. We, ah, had to get something for Giovanni for his 2nd year at Pokémon Tech." Bruno lied, as Giovanni carried Esther inside. "That's the 'something' you had to get? Ha! You'll find plenty of them at school, Giovanni! And they're at least dry, awake, and most are prettier than that!" She replied, pointing to Esther as she slept. Giovanni growled quietly, not at all appreciating that his mother had referred to Esther as 'that'. "Now...do my eyes deceive me, or is that your old friend, Hadassah? If it is..." Madam Boss started, anger in her voice. "Yeah, it's Hadassah." He replied angrily. "I thought I told you not to go to Pallet Town! She's not good for your attitude, Giovanni! Do you know that someday, when I'm gone, that you'll be the head of the entire Team Rocket Empire!? You're the only one to have enough potential to do that, after me! You have to rule them with a iron fist, and sweet, know-nothing girls aren't going to help you do that!" She rebuked.  
  
Giovanni lowered his head, blinking back hot tears of frustration. "Well, it's a little late now, isn't it, Mother!?" He said angrily. Madam Boss growled, and then realized that it was kind of late. "Fine. Get her cleaned up and take her to one of the guest rooms. But she goes tomorrow." Giovanni looked up, shocked at what his mother had just said. "Please, mom. Not tomorrow. I haven't seen her in so long..." "Would you rather not have her stay at all?" His mother asked, a smirk on her face. "Of course I want her to stay, but..." Giovanni began. "Then the discussion is final." Madam Boss said, turning on her heel. "Oh, and you're both grounded for disobeying me." She added dryly.  
  
As Giovanni took Esther to the living room, Bruno smiled. "Man, you're lucky Mom was in a good mood." Giovanni eyed him angrily. "Well, kind of a good mood, anyway." Bruno said, shrugging. "Why does she hate Hadassah so much? Essie never did a thing against Mom in her life." Giovanni said, tears welling up again in his brown eyes. "Well, she answered that. 'She's not good for your attitude, Giovanni! Do you know that someday, when I'm gone, that you'll be the head of the entire Team Rocket Empire!? You're the only one to have enough potential to do that, after me! You have to rule them with a iron fist, and sweet, know-nothing girls aren't going to help you do that!' That was the answer right there, bro." Bruno answered, imitating their mother. Giovanni growled at Bruno, who smiled. "At little protective of her, are we? Perhaps there's more to this friendship then meets the eye..." He said, noticing how close Giovanni held Esther. "Huh? You think that I like her in more than a friendly way? Man, you are wrong. We're friends and that's all." Giovanni added defensively.  
  
Giovanni then entered the living room, which was pretty big in comparison with other rooms in the mansion. He sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace softly, so as not to wake her. "Bruno, can you go and get a washcloth and wet it with warm water? I want to try to get this mud off of her." He asked, a pleading look on his face. "Sure, bro." Bruno said, turning around. As Bruno went to get the washrag, Giovanni looked into Esther's face as she slept, smiling. "I wonder what she's dreaming about right now..." He whispered to himself, fingering her damp hair. He looked at the clock and sighed. It was already 8 P.M. He'd have to go to bed in three hours. "I hate curfews." He said quietly.  
  
Just then, Bruno walked back in, carrying not one, but two washcloths. "I figured I'd help you, Giovanni. If you want me to, that is." He said, smiling. "Thanks, but...I'd rather do it myself, if you don't mind. But thanks for the extra washcloth." Giovanni said, looking at Bruno. "Okay. I'll stay close if you need help." Bruno answered, smiling as he went outside the room.  
  
Giovanni sighed as he began to wipe her clothes off, which had the most mud on them. He then spotted three small Pokéballs hanging on a loose belt, which was used primarily for holding Pokéballs and not fastening clothes. He took one ball in his hand and fingered it gently. He wondered what was inside it, but put it back anyway. After her clothes were practically mud- free, he went to her arms and legs and started wiping the mud from them gently, so he wouldn't wake her up. He figured she had tripped and fallen, which would most likely mean she was running. But this late at night, she wouldn't have been traveling just because she had started late, she would know better than to do that, since it was dangerous to travel at night around these parts, with Team Rocket around. That meant she had to have been running away, but away from what? From her loving family? From her friends? He just didn't understand what would make her run away from something so wonderful as those things.  
  
As he removed her cape she had on, he touched the Triforce emblem on it. It shined as he did so and he remembered seeing that mark before. He wiped the cape off, and then set it in front of the fireplace. He would hang it up later, when he had the chance. He came to her face and went to the other washcloth, which he hadn't used yet. He then proceeded to wipe the mud off her face. As he did, he smiled. She was more beautiful then she had been a year earlier. He then shook his head. Maybe Bruno was right, and maybe he did like her in more than a friendly way. Just maybe...  
  
Suddenly and quite unexpectantly, Esther's eyelids began to open to the feel of the soft cloth against her face. "Uhh...where am I?" She asked, groaning, then she realized who he was. "Giovanni? What ar...Oh, Giovanni!" She said, hugging him tightly. "Hey, Essie." He replied, smiling as they held each other close. "Where am I?" She asked, still hugging him as tightly as she had a second before. "My house in Viridian." he answered, wiping the rest of the mud off of her. "I'm in Viridian?" She asked, eying him. "Yep. I found you outside on the side of the road, under the awning of that old house, asleep." He replied. "You were running away, weren't you?" Esther smiled. "How'd you guess?" "I don't know, I just...guessed." He shrugged. "Come on, let's get you one of the guest rooms." "You sure your mom won't mind?" She asked, tilting her head. "Yeah, I'm sure."  
  
**3 years later**  
  
As rain splashed against her window, Esther slept silently in her house. But beyond those closed eyelids, she dreamed a dream, one that was quite important and would affect the rest of her life.  
  
"Esther..." A voice said. Esther looked to see an old man speak to her. She looked around to see that she was in a chamber of some sort. "Where am I?" She asked. "And who are you?" "You are in the Chamber of Sages, in the Temple of Light. I am Rauru, one of the ancient sages." Rauru said. "I don't understand." Esther replied disappointedly. "Ah, you're right. I have much to tell you, so please listen." Rauru said, extending his hand. "Um...okay, Rauru." She answered, taking his hand. Instantly, she saw in her mind's eye another place; A beautiful land with a rich history and many diverse people groups. "This is your homeland...It is called Hyrule." Rauru then explained how Hyrule came to be and then told her of her heritage. "You are the second Hero of Time, The Heroine of Time, and you are Hyrulean. Your Birth name is actually Estrella, but that is your Hyrulean name. The Heroes of Time are usually born once every 100 years, but this time more than one is alive. There are three of you." "Three of me?" Esther asked, shocked. "Not exactly." Rauru then taught her there were three Heroes of Time and that she knew the other two well. He told her about her powers; powers that she had, but never knew about.  
  
"The First Hero of Time is your twin brother, Link. The other one, unfortunately, is clouded from my mind, and I cannot tell you who he is. But you will know it is him by the Triforce symbol on his left hand, like the one you have." He told her. "What do you mean, 'that you have'?" She asked, thinking him crazy. "Look at your left hand, Estrella." He instructed. She willingly obeyed and saw what he was talking about. "I see what you mean, Great Sage." She said. "Well, now that I have told you this, my time is nigh, but I leave you with this: The portal to Hyrule is outside Viridian City and you will know where it is if you will just look. But remember this: No one needs to know you are Hyrulean. And also: You can only get to Hyrule through two gates: The portal, which opens only when all three Heroes of Time are together, and...Your dreams. Farewell." he said, fading from her view. "No! Don't leave me! There's so much I want to know: My past, what is to come..." She called to him. "You will find out your past in due time, and as for your future, I'll let you find that out for yourself. Goodbye." He said.  
  
"No, don't leave me!" Esther yelled. She then woke up in a cold sweat. She panted for a second, and then looked around. "Oh, must have been just a dre..."She began, and then she looked down at her left hand. The Triforce Mark was there, glowing yellow. 


	2. Chapter 1: New beginnings, or Vernal, Wh...

The Legend of Zelda:

The Three Heroes of Time****

By: Cassandra Bryars 

(a.k.a. Princess Esther of Hyrule!)

Warning: This is a romance/action/Pokémon-&-Legend-of-Zelda-together story. Also, this story contains 'explicit' (not really) "Beamer Bashing" material (For you who don't know what a Beamer is, it's a BMW.). The views of the author are not necessarily the views of the writer. Also, the author of this story believes in the following "shipping": Rocketshipping, Heroshipping (Giovanni and Esther in love), Triforceshipping (Link and Zelda in love), powershipping (Ganondorf likes Esther but she doesn't like him.), and catshipping (Giovanni's Persian and Esther's Persian [Persia]).  

Note: Es, one of Esther's nicknames, is pronounced "S." Essie is "S – E" (hard "S", long "E")****

Disclaimer: I only own the following characters or part of character names: Hadassah Esther, Josh, Heather, Lydia, Bryars (my last name), John Rocket (Giovanni's fictional middle and last name), Yocheved, Giovanna, Ai, Giovanni John Rocket the II, Ms. Renée Ascot (the boss's secretary), Rosa Bree, Alverdine (Esther's guardian fairy), Brites (Giovanni's fairy, and Robin (Robin's mom). I wish I owned Giovanni, but Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak had dibs on him first. Also, I DO NOT own Link, Zelda, Navi, Ganondorf and other Legend of Zelda characters, or any Pokémon characters. And Tigerspirit owns Mi, the Boss's niece. That said, let's get on with the story!

Note: This story takes place at least 10 years before the first ever episode of Pokémon was shown. Actually, it's more like 15-25 years before (Actually, it depends how old you think Giovanni is…). Esther is 14 at this time in the story, and Giovanni is 16.

Part 1: Chapter 1:__

_  New Beginnings_

"Come on, Link! You can do better than that! It's just a target, for crying out loud!" 14-year-old Hadassah Esther Bryars said to her twin brother, Link, as he concentrated on the target before him. "Sis! I'm trying to concentrate here, if you don't mind!" He yelled back, brushing a strand of his blonde hair out of his eyes. The two were in their back yard, practicing their archery skills before she had to go to work. "Alright, Link. I'll be quiet so you can concentrate. Besides, I've got to get dressed for work." She answered back, turning around and walking toward the house. 

As Esther (what she's known as.) did, she took a deep breath of the fresh March air and sighed. She hoped that the beautiful day so far would continue, considering this was her first day working at Team Rocket. 

She opened the translucent sliding glass door, feeling the air conditioner kick in. She had been lucky to get into Team Rocket, with her absolutely perfect record. She quietly walked to a door, opening it ever so slightly. 

She looked in, relieved to see that her 2-year-old son, Josh, was still asleep. She closed the door quietly, remembering the events that had led up to her having her son. First, she had been raped, then, three weeks later, she found out she was pregnant. 

Thinking about the events saddened her heart, so she shook her head, trying to rid herself of these thoughts. _I've got to remain strong for Josh and Link. They depend on me more than anything else. She thought to herself, adjusting her diamond ring on her right hand, remembering how scared she had been when she found out. She then reached her own room. _

Turning the knob, she walked in and took a look at her Team Rocket uniforms. They were the basic rank C (Rocket-grunt) uniforms, except the skirt was longer and more "frilly", as she described it, and you had to wear cheerleading shorts under them. It had cost her $15 to get it like that, but she knew it would pay itself off in the long run. 

As she put on the skirt, she admired how it flowed. She then put on the midriff-showing shirt and jacket. Noticing that her hair wasn't exactly fit for going to work with, she fixed it carefully. Her long and flowing black hair went very well with her uniform, complements of her gene code. She brushed it so that her Elven-like ears wouldn't show. She knew that somebody, if they saw them, would think it was a mutation of sorts, when actually, they were completely natural and proof positive of her and Link's Hyrulean heritage.

She and Link had somehow ended up in Pallet Town when they were both two. She had befriended a boy named Giovanni (hint-hint) eleven years before, only to have him move to Viridian City when she was nine. Now that she lived in Viridian, she hoped someday to meet up again with him.

Changing into her new black boots, she admired herself in the mirror. Even though she was naturally VERY beautiful (and humble and nice and…), the uniform perfectly outlined her figure, only adding to her natural beauty. Her big, bright, entrancing, violet eyes sparkled as she looked at herself in the mirror. _I have to admit; my reflection reminds me of those spy girls on TV, she thought, as she checked the clock. "Yipes!" She exclaimed, "I'm going to be late!" Before she dashed out, however, she quickly put on a cape, which went nicely with her uniform. It covered her left side and was fastened on her right shoulder by a Triforce emblem. _

She dashed out of her room, only to find Link there at the door, holding her lunch. "Thanks, Link! You're a dear!" She said, hugging him tightly. "Please take care of Josh for me while I'm gone!" "You know I will!" Link said, handing her the lunch bag, "I packed the usual, PB&J sandwich, Decaf tea, grapes, and something extra…mangos!" "Aww…thanks, Link! You know they're my favorite!" Esther said, smiling lovingly at her brother. "Bye, Link! I love you, Bro!" She shouted, running out the door. "Bye, Sis! Love ya, too!" He yelled back, closing the door.

Meanwhile, Esther was running to her Speed Yellow Porsche Boxter S that she had inherited from her "adoptive" father when he and her "mom" had been killed in a car crash 4 years before. The truth was, really, that she and Link had never known who their real parents were, except that they were both Hyrulean. 

She hopped in, & put on her Team Rocket cap to prevent the wind from messing up her hair _too_ severely. She hit and held down the "top down" button, waiting patiently as the top went slowly down.

As she waited for the light to go off, she popped in her _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring movie soundtrack CD into the CD player and switched it to track 18, then put the CD player on repeat so it would go from track 18 to track 1. As the top went down, she hummed a few bars, then sang the song softly, in Hyrulean:_

(Translation) _"May it be an evening star_

_Shines down upon you_

_May it be when darkness falls_

_Your heart will be true_

_You walk a lonely road_

_Oh! How far you are from home_

_Mornie (Mourn-e-ay) utúlië (oh-tu-lee-ay)(Translation: Darkness has come.)_

_Believe and you will find your way._

_ Mornie Alantië (uh-lan-T-ay) (Translation: Darkness has fallen.)_

_A promise lives within in you now_

_May it be the shadows call_

_ Will fly away_

_May it be your journey on_

_To light the day_

_When the night is overcome_

_You may rise to find the sun_

_Mornie utúlië_

_Believe and you will find your way._

_ Mornie Alantië_

_A promise lives within in you now_

_  A promise lives within you now…"_

She finished singing just as she was pulling up to a red light. On her right, a teenage boy about 19, in a red Beamer, whistled at her. She rolled her eyes, "BMW owners," she said under her breath. "Hey, babe! What is a gorgeous girl like you, doing in a car like that?!" He yelled to her, patting the drivers wheel. "Ditch the car, sweetheart, and I'll show you a real good time in a real sports car, like this one!" "Three words, slimo: Get, a, life!" She growled back. These types always got on her nerves. "Besides, this car suits me just fine. I don't know about you, though. My baby probably wouldn't even start if you were in the car, the way you insult her!" 

Just then, the light turned green. Esther, seeing the opportunity to leave Mr. Casanova-who-owns-a-BMW in the dust, put the gear in 1st. As it gained speed, she switched to 2nd and then 3rd gear, leaving him reeling and wondering, _how does a Boxter S good faster than my BMW? As her cloak fluttered in the wind, she smiled to herself, "Ignorant twerps. They have no concept of 'that if you take good care of your car, it will serve you well till the end of its days or your days, whichever comes first'," a saying her 'father' had coined._

She pulled up to Team Rocket headquarters, immediately holding down the top up/down button (same button). She checked in her mirror, to make sure her hair was okay, then jumped out of the car. Hitting the lock/alarm button on her remote, she climbed out just as The Boss pulled up five parking spaces away in a beautiful silver Turbo (A Porsche model). 

She whistled quietly and said to herself, "Sweet. That's a gorgeous model right there. I bet she goes pretty fast, too." Then she smiled as she thought to herself, _and her owner's not too bad looking either. In fact, he's pretty handsome. Fixing her cape, she turned to leave, mainly because she knew if she didn't get to The Boss's office, to report in for her first day on the job, before 9 o'clock, he wasn't going to be happy._

 _Still, she thought to herself, __there's something about him __that makes him seem…familiar. If only I could figure it out…She shook her head, clearing her mind. __Bryars, you've got to concentrate on training today, &…Just then her left ear twitched, which was a sign that: A. she was in danger, or B. someone was behind her. She casually looked behind her. Giovanni & his Persian were looking at her Porsche. "Nice Boxter S. A little old, but it looks like it still runs really well. I wonder who the lucky Rocket is that owns it. It kind of looks like my old friend Hadassah's dad's car. Year's right, that's for sure." _

Esther winced at the mention of her real first name. _I wonder if he knows my name's Hadassah. She shook her head. __No. He couldn't have. It must have been another Hadassah. She thought, and then realized how rare the name was. Rare. Really, really rare. She continued forward, pulling a Pokéball from her waist and pressing the button on it. A brilliant flash of light occurred; when it subsided, a female Persian was all that was left of the flash. "Come on, Persia," Esther said, running her fingers through Persia's shiny coat. "The Boss won't be happy if we don't make it to his office on time. I'm not one to try to start my Team Rocket career on the wrong foot."_


	3. Chapter 2: Training begins

_Chapter 2: Training begins   _

Esther & Persia walked in as she released another Pokémon, this time a female Dragonair. She liked dragon-types a lot because they were so majestic. It curled around her right upper arm, nuzzling against her. Surprisingly, Persia got along well with Dragonair and her other bird & Dragon types. As she reached the waiting room, which was right next to The Boss's office, she was surprised to see so many people in one room. Fortunately, there were still some seats left, so Persia saved one so Esther could tell the secretary she had arrived.

As Esther approached the desk, she noticed the name plate on the right, which bore, "Ms. Renée Ascot" in big letters, then underneath read "secretary." As soon as she had told the secretary she was in, she sat down in the chair Persia had saved for her. "Hey, aren't you that new girl who just joined?" A voice to her right asked. She turned to see Robin looking at her.

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, I just thought you'd be…uh…shorter."

"I'm tall for my age."

"Which is…"

"Fourteen."

"Wow! You're one of the youngest members."

"Hmm…cool, I guess."

"That is cool! It means he's got high expectations for you." Robin said, grinning.

"'He', as pertaining to The Boss?"

"Yeah. Team Rocket lingo for the head honcho."

"Oh."

"I just realized something. I got so caught up in talking with you, that I didn't even properly introduce myself!" Robin said, blushing. "I'm Robin." "I'm Esther." Esther answered back. "Nice Dragonair, though I would put it back in it's Pokéball before you meet the Boss, otherwise, he might think you're giving it to him." Robin said, grinning. Just then, the secretary called over to her and Robin, "He wishes to see you both now." 

Esther pulled out a compact mirror from her pocket and checked her hair carefully. "Oh, for crying out loud," Robin said, "it's not like you're in a beauty contest or something." "Well, I just…Ok." Esther stuttered, replacing her compact. She smoothed out her cape as she put Cyanea (Her Dragonair's nickname; means "Sky Blue") back in its pokéball. Ok, she thought to herself, take a deep breath, go in there, stop being so nervous, make a good impression and be yourself. Just before they reached The Boss's office, she prayed quickly. Robin saw how jittery she was and took the initiative to knock on the door. "Come in." the voice on the other side said. _Help…Esther mused. Persia could sense how tense her trainer was, and licked Esther's hand. Esther smiled, & decided now was as good as a time as any to use a Hyrulean relaxation technique. She closed her eyes and let the Triforce of wisdom calm her down. "You Ok?" Robin asked, putting her hand on Esther's shoulder. "Yeah…" "You two going to come in or what?" The Boss growled._

Robin opened the door to the office. Giovanni was working on a laptop when they came in. He closed the top quietly. "Sorry for that, sir." Robin apologized. "Ms. Bryars here was really anxious out there. I had to calm her down." Esther blushed a light red. "I wasn't anxious…I'm always like that on the first day of work." Robin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She said under her breath. "Ok, now if you two will shut up and listen…" Giovanni said, frowning. Both girls stopped bickering immediately. "Thank you. As I was saying in the e-mail I sent you, Ms. Esther, I called you here to introduce you to your trainer (As in, Robin trains her for her job in Team Rocket), although it seems that you've already been acquainted." He said, smiling. 

"Wait a minute! That means…" Esther realized, and then looked at Robin, who grinned at her. Esther started mouthing the words "You're my trainer?" to Robin, who nodded. Esther frowned, then decided to get back at Robin for the earlier comment. "I should have figured out earlier. You were much too nice for a blonde." Giovanni snickered as the catfight continued. "Hey, you're the one with the weird mark on your left hand!" Robin growled angrily. "You know, Robin, I think we should continue our little fight outside. I'm sure The Boss has more important things to do than to watch our battle go on. Isn't that right, sir?" Esther said, sending Giovanni a glance that meant, 'Go along with it.' He caught the glance and nodded. "She's right. I have much to do, though watching your little argument was definitely amusing. Now both of you, out!" Robin and Esther scurried out of the office quickly. 

Giovanni sighed and shook his head. _I must be going soft, he thought, as he resumed his work. __I actually went along with that glance that new girl gave me. He thought to himself, and then stopped typing. __I think I'll have a look at her file, & see what's with her. He went to the filing cabinet and opened the drawer for the Rank C Rockets. __That's strange, he thought, as he flipped through the files, trying to find hers. __I don't see an "Esther Bryars," but I know she filled out her form. Maybe the secretary still has it._

"Sorry, sir," The secretary said over the intercom, "I handed it to you after she had filled it out." "Hmm…that's odd, because I remember putting it in the file cabinet." _Wait-a-minute! What if she goes by another name? I better check again. This time, anything with the last name Bryars, I'm examining. _

Giovanni thought. "I'll check again, just to be sure, Ms. Ascot." He radioed back. He shuffled through the files again. This time, there were results. "Here's a 'Hadassah Bryars'." He put the document on his desk, and continued searching through the files in the Rank C folder, then he checked the other ranks, just to make sure he hadn't accidentally put it in there. "One result? That's it? Oh well. Guess I'll have to go with what I've got. We'll see who you really are tonight, Ms. Hadassah, or whatever your real name is." Giovanni said, laughing evilly to himself.

Meanwhile, Robin was going over the basics with Esther, who was doing quite well, though she asked Robin to repeat the more complicated subjects so she could remember them. The training had started at nine-thirty & lasted nine-and-a-half hours, with occasional ten-minute breaks in-between. By the time they were finished, Esther was completely exhausted. "It gets more exhausting than that later on. Just wait 'till you're actually doing it on a real mission. You're just a little tired compared to how you'll feel after doing one," Robin said, then she smirked, "If you ever get that far, that is!" Esther was too tired to retaliate, though. She just felt like fainting. "I've got to keep my eyes open just a little longer…" She said to herself as they went to their room. Persia licked her hand, seeing that her master was discouraged and tired. Esther smiled and stroked Persia's sleek fur.

As they entered the room, Esther flopped onto her bed. She closed her eyes, imaging her home five miles away. _I wonder what Link and Josh are…Just then, Robin interrupted her thoughts. "You did well for a newcomer, Bryars. You made it through your first day. I didn't think you would, but you did. Want to come to the bar with me to celebrate?" "Sorry, I don't do alcohol." Esther replied, her eyes still closed._

"There will be boys there."

"I don't give a care."

"The Boss might be there…"

"And…your point is…what?"

"Well, you obviously have a certain thing for him…"

"What do you mean?" Esther said, eyeing Robin curiously. "Well…I noticed that your eyes were, like, glued to his the whole time." Robin responded, smiling. "And his were glued to yours the whole time too. Maybe he likes you." 

"If he did, he would never admit it."

"Maybe you need to tell him how you…"

"Well, two problems: one, I have no personal feelings for him. Two, if I did tell him, he'd kill me himself, or fire me and then hire someone to kill me." Esther said, shuddering. "Good point." Robin said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Ms. Robin, I'm going to bed. Have a good time at the bar. Just don't get drunk, please." Esther said aloud, then she whispered to herself. "Last thing I need is a drunk blabbering idiot on my back tomorrow, instead of just a blabbering idiot."  "Huh? What did you say?" Robin asked, eyeing Esther suspiciously. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Esther said, trying her best to look innocent, but failing miserably. 

"Whatever. I'm going down to the bar. How 'bout I come tell you if the Boss is…" Robin started. "Will you please drop the subject? I'm very tired and I am in no mood to talk to anyone about anything." Esther said pleadingly. "We can discuss it later, after I get a good night's rest. Good n…" 

Just then, the phone rang. "Hello." Esther said into the receiver after reaching for the phone. "Hi. Is Esther there?" A familiar voice asked over the phone, just as Robin left the room. "It's me, Link!" Esther said in a happy but tired voice. "How's everything going?" Link asked. "Well…"


	4. Chapter 3: Memories and Roses

Chapter 3- Memories and Roses  
  
"Now that that's taken care of, I think I'll have a look in her file." Giovanni said, resting on the coach in his mansion. It was about seven o' clock, so he knew he had plenty of time to thoroughly examine the document. As he opened it, he saw the usual: résumé, contacts, medical information. He checked her medical info. Nothing unusual. He thought to himself, moving on to the résumé. Examining it, he was intrigued when he saw that her real name was Hadassah and her middle name was Esther. Why on Earth would she go by her middle name instead of her first name? He thought to himself, shaking his head. Boy, the author of this story knows how to puzzle someone, that's for sure.   
  
After checking her résumé, he moved on to her contacts. He was surprised to see that her parents were not on it; just her brother, stepsisters, and guardian, Prof. Oak. I wonder if she's got a diary of some sort. He mused. Maybe that will explain why her parents aren't on the contact list. Now if I can just get her face out of my head. He looked back at her photo again, then remembered what his old friend looked like when they had last seen each other: four years before. I wonder if they're the same person. Same first name, same black hair, He looked at the picture thoughtfully. Same...entrancing...violet eyes.  
  
He sighed, pulling a photo out of his wallet. The photo showed him, at eleven, and his friend, Hadassah, who was nine at the time, together just before he, his mom, & his brothers had moved away from Pallet Town to Viridian. Maybe she was that girl from long ago. He looked back at her photo from the file, then back at the one. They look the same but, then, she might look a lot different from this one.  
  
He then thought of something. Maybe I can get Robin still. I bet I can. It's nowhere close to curfew yet. He went to his phone and dialed Robin's cell phone number. "Hello, this is Robin." The voice at the other end replied. "Robin, this is your Boss. I need to know whether that Bryars kid has a diary or journal or not." Giovanni said. "I think she does. Before I left for the bar, I think I saw a floppy on her nightstand labeled, 'Diary.' Plus, if it's not that, it may be a file in her computer. But I doubt it, because when I saw her on her Laptop last, she had saved it really fast when she saw that I was looking, and took out the floppy. It may have a password, though." Robin said. "See if you can locate that disk and password. She may have the passwords located in some file on her computer. Contact me if you find the disk. If you can't find a password for it, I just might be able to hack into it." Giovanni ordered. "Yes, sir. It may take a few attempts, though." Robin replied. "Just try." Giovanni said. "I need that file!"  
Meanwhile...  
  
"I've got to go, Link, Josh. If we get charged for phone calls, I've probably racked up a fortune." Esther said, laughing. "Ok, Es." Link said, then he frowned. "But first, when ARE you coming home?" "I come home on Friday evenings, unless, of course, my Boss needs me for something or I'm on a mission." Esther said, sighing. "Don't worry. I'll see you two soon. I miss you guys too much to work weekends... willingly, anyway!" "You haven't told anybody the secret, have you?" Link asked, his voice ringing with concern. "About being a 'Heroine of Time'? Nah. It's safe, Link. I've vowed to myself that I won't tell anyone or change to another form unless I absolutely have to, like if I'm in terrible danger and only another form of mine can rescue me or someone else." She said, smiling. "I put that cape on and fastened it on my right shoulder, so it covers my left side, so you can't see the Triforce mark. Plus, I have those black gloves on, so that covers it up just fine."   
  
"Good point." Link said back, smiling. "Well, better let you go. You look really tired." "That I am." Esther replied, yawning. "Bye, Link! Bye, Josh! I love you guys!" "Love you too, sis! Bye!" Link said, waving over the Videophone. "Bye, Mommy! I love you!" Little Josh said. "Bye, sweetheart! I'll see you Friday night, honey! I love you too!" Esther said. "You make Mommy proud and be nice and listen to Uncle Link!" "Ok, mommy!"  
  
After taking a quick shower, she sat down, and reached for her Laptop. Turning it on, she went to her Word(tm) document containing her passwords for various things. Going to the next blank line, she typed "Diary", went over a couple of spaces, then typed in "Giovanni John Rocket", the name of her old friend. She sighed as she typed the name into the file. As she did, she reached for her pack that contained her photo of him and her together, five years before. She smiled as she looked at it. She missed him terribly, even though they had met up again a year after the picture was taken. He had saved her life then, although from what she could not remember. Maybe we'll meet soon, Giovanni. I'll be praying that we do. Little did she know, that her prayers were not in vain, and had been answered that morning. She saved the file and closed the laptop. She fell asleep shortly afterwards.   
  
About an hour later, Robin entered her room quietly, hoping that Esther was asleep. She was, which relieved Robin greatly. She set about looking for the password and disk. She found the password document still open, which Esther had been too tired to think about closing. Tsk, tsk. Careless, aren't we, Ms. Bryars? Leaving confidential records just open and running. You're just asking for someone to read them. Namely, me...your 'too-nice-for-a-Redhead' roommate. Robin thought, simmering. Ah-ha! The password for her diary is... 'Giovanni John Rocket'? Whatever. Robin thought, writing the password down on a slip of paper. Now where's the disk? Oh, right next to the laptop? You are very careless, Esther Bryars. You make my mission WAY too easy. Robin closed the laptop back, took the disk, and quietly retreated to where Giovanni and she had agreed to meet.   
  
"Here it is, sir. The password's on the paper, and that's the disk. She made that mission much too easy. She had her password file open, and the diskette was right next to the laptop! I hope she's not that careless when she has more energy, otherwise she may not be the best employee!" Robin said, laughing. "How'd you get them? She doesn't know you have them, does she?" Giovanni asked, narrowing his eyes at Robin. "Oh...I just saw her password file open on her laptop and copied it down. Like I said, the floppy was right next to it. And don't worry about her knowing about it, Boss. She was fast asleep! I don't think she liked my remark that she's going to be even more tired on a mission, though." "Ready to faint, huh?" Giovanni said, shaking his head. "I certainly hope she has more energy tomorrow. Otherwise, you may have your work cut out for you, Robin." Robin frowned.   
  
"Thank you for retrieving this for me. There's something about her...and naturally, since going to the source: Ms. Bryars in this case, would prove a waste of valuable time, we have to go to the closest thing to the source: journals or diaries, or, in this case, confidential records. Remember that. Now, I must be going. Good night, Robin." Giovanni said, turning back to his limo and heading back to his mansion.   
  
As Giovanni sat down, he inserted the floppy disk into his computer and brought up the Word program. He checked the password, and was shocked to see that it was his name. How in the blue blazes does she know my name? He thought to himself, typing in the password vigorously. We'll see how you know this "private information", Esther Bryars. Only very high-ranking Rockets knew his first name, and none, that he knew of anyway, knew his middle and last name. The file flashed up on the screen, and Giovanni started reading the first entry in it. After about two hours of reading, he finally came to her entry from that morning.   
  
After reading it, he closed the document and smiled. The password had been an old friend's name. I knew she looked familiar, he thought. She's my old friend, Hadassah! Dang, she looks like my mother in a way! If only I could figure out how to talk to her privately. Invite her over...no. Too conspicuous. There's the chance someone might hear. He sighed as he thought to himself for a while, and then it hit him. She wrote in her diary that she loves roses. I'll leave her some on her bed, before she wakes up! She'll be so surprised! "Persian, come here!" He called. The classy cat Pokémon stretched, reluctantly waking up to his trainer's call. He sauntered over, yawning.   
  
"Sorry to wake you, Persian." Giovanni said, stroking Persian's silky fur. "Remember Ms. Bryars, from this morning?" Persian thought for a moment, then it replied back with a purr. "Yes, the one with the cute female Persian. That's all you think or care about, females." Giovanni said, smiling. "Of course, I don't blame you. The Persian's pretty, and as for her owner...she's gotten a lot more beautiful since I last saw her, four years ago." Persian looked at him, puzzled. "I..." Giovanni started, then he blushed. "...Got Robin to get Ms. Esther's diary and um...he-he...looked over it. It turns out she's my old friend, Hadassah.   
  
"I used to live in Pallet Town, just south of here, but I moved when I was about eleven to Viridian. Ms. Esther moved here no more than six months ago." Persian purred. It was all starting to make since to him. "Come on, I'm going to get some roses for her." Giovanni said, going to his backyard garden.  
  
After getting the roses, he tied them carefully with a violet silk ribbon. Attached was a note that read:  
  
My dearest Essie,  
These roses are meant for you, Hadassah Esther Bryars. For you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Please, meet me at that café on the corner of Elm and 33rd street at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. You will know who I am when you see me. If you cannot come, call my voice mail at 639-7351. I long to be with you, my dove.  
Yours truly,  
Your secret admirer  
  
Giovanni smiled as he went to change into a black suit so he could blend in with the darkness better. That was the most lovesick, not to mention the only, note he had written. If she actually comes, I'll be amazed. As he watched as Persian read the note and burst out laughing when it had finished, he frowned. "I take that to be an insult?" Persian immediately stopped laughing and hung its head. "It's ok. It's the first note I've written, err...typed, like that." Giovanni said, smiling. "I think I'll go call my brother, Bruno. He'll certainly think it's entertaining."   
  
He dialed his brother's number, and then waited. "Hello, this is Bruno." Bruno's voice was about as deep as his brother's. "Hey, man. It's me, Giovanni." Giovanni replied into the receiver. "Hey, bro! How are you? You find a girl yet?" Bruno asked hopefully. "Well...let's just put it this way: I've got her on the hook and I'm trying to land her." Giovanni replied, smiling. Bruno saw his brother's smile and immediately asked, "Whom are we trying to 'land,' Bro?"   
"Remember Hadassah Esther Bryars, my friend from way back when."  
"You mean the girl you were friends with and secretly had a crush on?"  
"Yeah, her."  
"Yeah, I remember her well! Those amethyst eyes...that raven black hair...she had the voice of an angel...gentle as a dove...with skin as soft as a petal..."  
"Ok! Ok! I get what you're saying: you had a crush on her too!"  
"I did not, little brother of mine!"  
"Yeah, right! Anyway... she just happens to work for me."  
"Oh, my gosh! You have got to be kidding!"  
"No. You know I rarely kid around!"  
"You lucky stiff! Let me be her partner, bro!"  
"No way! I saw her first! Besides," Giovanni continued, "you don't work for Team Rocket!"  
"Oh, yeah. I forgot..."  
"Daddy, who are you arguing with?" A voice in the background asked. "Um...I'm talking to Uncle Giovanni, Mi." Bruno said, knowing what was going to come next. "Can I talk to him, Daddy? Please..." Mi, Bruno's daughter, pleaded. "Oh, ok. Don't talk him to death." Bruno said, eyeing his daughter. "You know I won't." She said, smiling.  
  
An hour later...  
  
"Well, I better get going, Mi. I'd love talk to you longer, but I have something that needs to be done now, or I'll completely forget about it." Giovanni said, looking at his watch. It was already 10:00. "Okay, Uncle Giovanni. Bye! See you later!" Mi said over the phone.  
  
As he put the receiver back down, he picked up the roses he had gotten for Esther and smelled them. Still fresh. Good. He thought to himself. Persian followed as Giovanni lead the way to headquarters.  
  
As Giovanni entered TRHQ, he greeted the Roman-clad guards. Sneaking quietly down the corridors, he smiled. They do their job well. He thought, looking back to where he had just entered. After this mission, I think I'll give them all a raise.  
  
About five minutes later (It's a BIG place. Even he can get lost in It.), he arrived at Esther and Robin's door. Before he slid the Master card (opens all doors in the building) into the slot, however, he pulled a pokéball from his jacket and pressed the button. The usual flash of light occurred, and then a Vileplume appeared. Giovanni had found it walking through a forest one day as an oddish, abandoned. He had taken care of it since then, and had found that it was extremely loyal for a Pokémon that had been abandoned once.   
  
"Vilepuumm" the Pokémon smiled, then happily jumped into Giovanni's arms, and started hugging him tightly. "Okay, Okay. I'm glad to see you too, old buddy." He said, patting the grass Pokémon on the head. "There's a chance that I may need you to use a sleep powder on someone, so get ready." Vileplume nodded. Giovanni turned on his voice changer, and then inserted the card into the door lock. It replied with a reassuring 'ping' and Giovanni entered the room.   
  
"Oh, boss...I had no idea you could kiss like that. Oh, that feels so good..." Esther said. The experience was so surreal. She knew it couldn't go on forever, but she wished anyway that it could. "Who would of thought we could fall for each other like this?" Giovanni said between kisses. "I know...oh..." Esther moaned, enjoying every minute.   
  
Giovanni loomed over Esther as her eyelids fluttered. He quickly pulled on his facemask, so she couldn't recognize him. Esther woke up from her wonderful dream. "Oh...it was just a dream...darn it." She said, then realized Giovanni was there. She tried in vain to scream, but not before he could plant his lips on hers to silence her cries.   
  
Esther whimpered fearfully, but as Giovanni put an arm around her and stroked her face gently with his free hand, she stopped. Why do I feel...safe? She thought to herself. Oh, well. At least he's not trying to violate me or something. Submitting to the kiss, she sat there, wondering what to do. Giovanni broke away when he saw she wasn't about to scream.   
  
"Who...who are you?" Esther inquired, her voice shaking from the passion in the kiss. "Just call me John for the time being." He said, using the voice changer to make his voice a little higher, so she couldn't recognize it. "Have we...met before, John?" She asked, looking into his brown eyes. Darn. I forgot to put in my color-change contacts. He thought. "Uh...well...I saw you and I decided I had to meet you..."He replied, trying to sound truthful.   
  
"At 11:00 at night?"  
  
"It was convenient."  
  
"Not for me."  
  
"Sorry. I wanted to surprise you, that's all."  
  
"It's more like you scared the heck out of me."   
  
"Um...Esther," He replied, remembering his original mission, "Sorry, but I have no choice but to do this. Vileplume", he called to the Pokémon. "Sleep powder." "Vilepuumm." The Pokémon said, releasing the powder as 'John' ran out of the room. "What are...you doing...to me...Joh...?" There was no reply as she drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
Giovanni frowned as he paced outside the room, waiting for the sleep powder to subside. I wish I didn't have to do that. Makes me fell guilty. Vileplume came out of the room, then stopped in front of Giovanni and nodded that the powder had subsided. "Good." Giovanni turned to re-enter the room, then said to Persian and Vileplume. "Stay here, and warn me if patrol comes by." The Pokémon nodded.  
  
Giovanni walked to Esther's bed and kneeled next to it. As he kissed her cheek, he observed that what Bruno had said was true. "Gentle as a dove...with skin as soft as a petal..." She had not tried to fight back or anything, just tried to cry out in distress, like a dove, and her skin was just like that of a petal. He placed the roses on her chest and moved her hand onto them. "I'm so sorry, Essie. Forgive me for the sleeping powder thing." He whispered, knowing she couldn't hear him. He traced the outline of her body in the dark, and then smiled. "She's so perfect." He sighed. Just then, Persian quietly bounded into the room. It replied with meows of concern. "Thanks for telling me." Giovanni said, giving Esther another kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Esther. I'll see you tomorrow." He whispered, getting up and heading out of the room. 


	5. Chapter 4: Of Emotional Breakdowns and N...

Chapter 4-  
Of Emotional breakdowns & near-salary cuts  
  
Note: Okay, from here on out, this is how it works.  
  
"quotation": Dialogue /or thought, depending on the context.  
  
"AND NOW YOUR MORNING FORCAS..." The radio blared as Robin hit the off button on it. Stretching, she yawned. "Okay, Bryars. Time to get up." There was no reply. "I'm not kidding, Bryars. Get up." No movement. "Ok. I'll just have to call the boss then, and tell him how you feel about him." No response. Robin was losing her patience. "GET UP, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Robin yelled. Not even a flinch. Suddenly, something caught Robin's eye: the roses on Esther's chest.   
  
Robin picked up the card and read it. She frowned. "Why does she get a secret admirer, and not me? And why won't she get up?" She checked her breathing and pulse. Both were present. Robin raced to the phone to call Giovanni. "Hello, who is this?" Giovanni asked impatiently.  
  
"Sir, it's me, Robin."  
  
"Well, what is it?"  
  
"It's Esther, sir."  
  
Giovanni's voice changed to one of concern. "What about Ms. Bryars?"  
  
"She won't wake up! I think she's unconscious!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I tried everything. The only clue to it all is some roses that are on her chest."  
  
"Keep her warm and I'll be right there!" Giovanni said, then he hung up. "Oh, Essie. I'm so sorry about all of this!" He thought, racing to Robin and Esther's room.  
  
Two minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Robin opened it, revealing Giovanni, who was gasping for air. "Are you okay, sir?" Robin asked worriedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where is she?" "Over on her bed, sir." Giovanni went over to Esther's side and checked her breathing and pulse. Both were still present. Giovanni carefully picked Esther up in his arms. "We need to get her to the lab for tests!" He said, holding her tenderly but securely. Together, Giovanni and Robin headed for the labs as quickly as was humanly possible.  
  
*****  
  
"Will she be ok?" Esther heard Giovanni ask in a troubled voice as she regained consciousness. "She should be." The doctor replied.   
"What caused her to black out?"  
"We don't know. The tests haven't come back yet." The doctor put his hand on Giovanni's shoulder. "We shall understand what did it soon enough, sir."  
"I sure hope so, for her sake." Giovanni said, sighing sadly, as he looked over at Esther. He moved over to her bed, looking for any trace that she might have come to while they were talking. She was coming around, slowly, but surely.  
  
Just then, a lab boy with emerald eyes came in, holding papers in his hands. "Well, did we find out what caused it?" The doctor asked impatiently. "Yes, sir." The youth answered, handing the papers to the doctor. "She was subjected to a lot of sleep powder." Giovanni's jaw dropped. "Oh no, I did this to her! This is my entire fault!" He thought as he silently cursed himself for being so stupid. He ran his fingers through Esther's hair, fondling it affectionately. The stroking unconfined a weak smell of coconut, from the shampoo, into the room. "I'm sorry I did this to you, Esther." He whispered, kissing her hand and caressing her face gently. "If I'd only known that that much sleep powder was going to be released, I wouldn't have done it. I'm so sorry... forgive me." Robin smiled as she saw him kissing Esther's hand. "He really is concerned for her. I guess I was right about him liking her." She said to herself.   
  
Suddenly Giovanni heard Esther moan. He looked at her face. Her eyelids were slowly opening. "Guys, she's waking up!" He called to the others quietly, so as to not frighten Esther. "What?! She is?! Good. Now I want to see how she's doing." The doctor said loudly, hurrying over to Esther. "Owww...my head hurts..." Esther said, shutting her eyes in pain as the noise continued. "Where am I? Boss, what are you doing here?" "You're in Team Rocket's labs. As for me, Robin called when she found out you were unconscious, and I rushed down to your room. We brought you here shortly afterward." Giovanni said softly. "How long was I out?" Esther asked shyly, as she noticed Giovanni still running his hand through her hair. "Probably ten hours, my guess." The doctor said. Esther looked over at him. "What time is it?" She asked. "About 11:30 a.m." Giovanni said, glancing at his watch. "More or less."  
  
Giovanni noticed that Esther looked like she was in pain, and put one of his arms around her. "You okay, Esther?" He asked fearfully. "My head hurts, and I'm cold, but that's all." Esther replied, shivering.   
"You need anything?"  
"Two 200mg Advil, something to take it with, and a blanket would be nice. But I can live without them."  
"I'll get them for you, Esther."  
"Really, I can..." Esther started to protest, but Giovanni was already out of the room.  
  
Giovanni ran to his office as quickly as he could. He knew he had a bountiful supply of Ibuprofen (when you have half-wits like Jesse & James working for you in the future, you need a BIG supply of headache medicine.) in his desk. He grabbed the two Advil, a nice, warm blanket out of the supplies room, and a cup to put water in. About halfway down the hall from the labs, he filled the cup up with water from the drinking fountains (fresh from Mt. Moon, mind you.), and went on to the labs.  
  
While Giovanni was out getting the various items, Robin snickered. "What? What's so funny, Robin?" Esther asked, confused. "Isn't it obvious the Boss likes you? The way he ran his fingers through your hair, the way he carried you to the labs, the way he put his arm around you, the way he asked if there was anything you needed, how he dashed out of the room to get the stuff...I can just see it now." Robin said, humming the wedding march. "Watch it, Robin...you're biting off more than you can chew, as far as I'm concerned. The Boss was just worried, that's all. Soon, he'll be back to his normal self, I can assure you." Esther growled, then she winced as pain shot through her head. "Oww..." She whimpered, as a tear ran down her cheek from the pain.   
  
No more than six minutes later (two going, four coming back), Giovanni entered the labs and frowned when he saw Esther crying from the pain. He walked over to where she was, and sat down next to her bed and put his hand on her shoulder. Esther looked up to see him as he handed her the water and Advil. He spread the blanket over her, making sure her whole body was covered. She smiled as he did so. "Thank you, but you really shouldn't have. I could have done it myself." She said softly. "It's ok. I didn't mind at all." Giovanni said. "You feel better now?" "Yes, thank you for your concern." Esther flashed him her prettiest smile that her aching head would allow her to. "You're welcome, Esther." He blushed a pale shade of red. "Um...I'm sure you have better things to do than stay here with me." As Esther said this, Robin frowned. "No! Don't do that, Bryars. You'll lose him!" She whispered. Unfortunately, she said it loud enough for Giovanni to hear. "What about 'losing him', Robin?" Giovanni said, shooting a glance at her. "She thinks you like me and I like you in more than a 'employer-employee' way." Esther said, growling at Robin angrily.   
  
"Well, she does, sir." Robin said, trying her best to get Esther in trouble.  
  
"I do not!" Esther retaliated.  
  
"Do too!" Robin said, then stuck out her tongue and taunted Esther, animé-style. Esther knew that somebody had to break the chain, or Giovanni was going to confront her with the subject directly, her weak-point. "Ok, so maybe I do, maybe I don't. It's none of your business either way." She said heatedly at Robin, and then cooled down. "Will you please drop the subject, Robin?! I would like to ask Ms. Esther about the events leading up to her fainting, if you don't mind!" Giovanni said angrily, then he forced himself to calm down.   
  
"When did you faint?" He asked Esther. "I think...around...eleven-fifteen or somewhere around there." Esther answered. Giovanni flinched. You got it right on target, Essie. But he wasn't about to say it aloud. "That means someone got into your room last night." He said coolly. "Someone was in the room besides us?!" Robin exclaimed fearfully. "Yes, that's right! I remember that!" Esther said excitedly. "You mean you saw that someone in the room?!" Robin asked. "Yes. It was after a very, uh... nice dream and I reluctantly woke up after it and a man was standing over me. I tried to scream, but he, um..." here she blushed a bright red. "Pressed his lips against mine to make me be quiet. It worked pretty well too. Anyway, I asked him who he was, and he said to call him John for the time being." "John...got it." Giovanni said, who, from somewhere, had gotten a pad of paper and pencil. "Go on." "Well," Esther continued. "I asked if we had met before, and he said that he had seen me and had to meet me." "At 11:00 at night?" Giovanni asked. "'It was convenient,' he said." Esther explained, not noticing this was almost the exact conversation she and 'John' had had the night before.   
  
"For you, it wasn't."   
  
"I know. But he said he was sorry. He wanted to surprise me, or that's what he said."   
  
"He probably came close to frightening you to death, especially with that kiss."  
  
"Yeah, then he said, 'Um...Esther. I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to do this.' Then he told his Vileplume to use sleep powder on me. I tried to fight it off, but there was just too much of it. Plus, I was very tired." Esther said, hanging her head.   
  
"Hey, you tried, and that's all that matters." Giovanni said, warmly embracing Esther, who looked fearfully at Robin and gave her a look that said, "Ok, Ok. You were right." Robin smiled triumphantly, but wasn't about to help Esther. To Esther, she mouthed the words, "You got yourself into it, now you'll have to get out of it."   
  
Esther grimaced as Giovanni continued to nuzzle closer to her. "I'm so glad you're okay, Esther." He said, kissing her cheek for about the 20th time. Esther decided there was nothing else she could do but go along with the embrace. She put her head on his shoulder, waiting for him to loosen his grip. She sat there in his arms, feeling unusually safe. "Wow," she thought. "He makes me feel so...warm &...fuzzy." She returned the hug, putting her arms around his neck. Robin couldn't stop from giggling, watching them cuddle. After several minutes, Esther decided that it was high time for him to let go. "Um...thanks for caring about me." Esther said warmly. "Now...could you kindly let me go? It's getting hard for me to breathe, you're squeezing me so hard." "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm just really glad you're Ok." Giovanni grinned sheepishly, as he released her. Then he noticed Robin was watching them. "Um...Robin, don't you have work you need to do?" "Huh? What wor..." Robin started to ask, then caught Giovanni's glance. "Oh! That work! I forgot completely about it." Robin realized, running from the room in a random direction.  
  
"What work? Esther asked Giovanni, confused. "Anything to get her out of here, that's what." Giovanni said, putting his arm around her. "Oh no. Not again. Not another hug. It felt ok, but I'm not ready for this." Esther thought fearfully. To her surprise, Giovanni merely pulled her close to him. "Now, how 'bout answering one or two questions, Bryars?" He whispered in her ear gently, so as not to arouse her headache, which had been gone for a while. "Sure, sir. What would you like to know?" She asked, looking into his deep brown eyes. "Are you single?" Giovanni asked sheepishly. Esther looked at him, shocked. Giovanni snickered when he saw the look on her face. "Just kidding!" He said, still laughing. "You should have seen the look on your face! Pure shock!" He said, shaking his head. "You mean you're not serious about the question?" She inquired. "No, I just wanted to see your reaction to it!" He smiled happily. "Oh, before I forget, these were on you chest this morning. I think your 'boyfriend' left them." He said, handing her the roses from the night before. They were slightly wilted, but still pretty.   
  
"Huh? I don't remember anything about roses." She said, obviously confused. "Oh well." She smelled the roses, and sighed. "Never mind where they came from! They smell great!" Giovanni smelled them and smiled. "Yes, they smell quite good." He said, then he thought to himself, Thank you for the complement, Es. "Whoever grows these is quite the gardener!" Esther said, smiling. "Here's the card that came with it. It seems you have a secret admirer." Giovanni said, trying to keep a straight face. Esther took the card and read it aloud. " 'My dearest Essie, These roses are for you, Hadassah Esther Bryars. For you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Please, meet me at that café on Elm and 33rd street on Saturday at seven o'clock. You will know who I am when you see me. If you cannot come, call my voicemail at 639-7351. I long to be with you, my dove. Yours truly, your secret admirer." She gasped as she read it. "Oh, don't tell me I'm being stalked! I thought no one knew my real name or my nickname. After my friend Giovanni, who called me Essie, moved away from Pallet Town, I never went by my first name again, I was so crushed. And I never let anyone call me Essie again after that!" She blurted out, sobbing out of fear. "Hey, hey, calm down, Esther." Giovanni drew her closer. "If you don't stop crying and chill out, I'll hug you again."  
"You wouldn't dare."  
"Would I?" Giovanni said, wrapping his arms around her. "Ok, Ok! I'll quit crying, just stop holding me in your arms!" Esther cried, as more tears rolled down her face. Just then, the doctor walked in to check on Esther, and wasn't surprised to see her crying. "Don't worry, sir. It's just side effects of the sleep powder." He said softly. "Irritability is a side effect of this stuff?" Giovanni asked, confused. "I'm not irritable." Esther said defensively. "Yes, you are, Ms. Bryars." The doctor said, smiling. "Don't worry, Boss. She'll be back to her normal, sweet, non-irritable self." He said, emphasizing non-irritable. Giovanni frowned. "When exactly will she be back to her normal self?"  
"About two or three days."  
"Isn't there anything we can give her to hurry it up?"  
"Sorry, sir. The most reliable method for this is to let the body get rid of the remainder of the sleep powder by itself."  
"So it's almost like withdrawal symptoms, doctor?"  
"Exactly."  
"So," Esther said, "When my body doesn't have any more sleep powder in it, I won't act so weird?"  
"I thought we just said that." Giovanni said, frowning.  
"Sorry, just verifying." Esther said, lowering her eyes so that they did not meet Giovanni's. The Triforce mark on her left hand glowed through her black gloves. Giovanni looked at the mark, wondering what it was.   
  
Suddenly, blue light surrounded Esther. She took off the glove, revealing the mark underneath. "Purify*" a voice said. Giovanni looked at her, bewildered. What in the world...he thought. He heard singing in the background, and then he realized it was Esther. She was singing a song that he didn't think he had heard before, but it sounded familiar, like he had heard it long ago. As she sang, Esther felt energy fill and cleanse her body of the powder. As the blue light decreased, so did her song. When it had diminished completely, her singing had also. In her right hand was a vial containing blue powder. "Your powder, doctor." She said, handing the test tube to the doctor, her violet eyes sparkling. "Is it not the same powder that ailed me?" "Well..." the doctor began, still shaken by what he had just seen. "We have to run some tests on it, and you. But I think so." "Why must you run more tests on me?" Esther asked, testing Giovanni's authority. "Because we have to see how much powder is in your body, that's why!" Giovanni said, not happy about his power being challenged so. "Don't you see, Boss? This IS the powder that pained my body! It was in my body, now it is not." Esther said, frowning. "It can't be. There's just no way." Giovanni argued. "Fine, believe what you want, sir." Esther said, a hint of hurt in her voice. "Do all the tests you please, but that's the powder."  
  
After about several tests on the powder, it was confirmed that it was indeed sleeping powder. "Doesn't mean a thing." Giovanni said, crossing his arms. As Esther had a blood test done, Giovanni thought to himself. "What if she told the truth and that is the powder...No it can't be. He mused. No amount of Hocus-Pocus could remove that powder from her body." "Boss, Can I talk to you in private?" the doctor asked. "Sure." Giovanni replied.  
  
Once they were out of the room, Giovanni saw the worried look on the Doctor's face. "What's wrong?" "Well," the doctor began, "Boss Giovanni, I think you may have a very unique girl working for you." "What...Oh, don't tell me my best lab man is taking up for a female in the lowest ranks of Team Rocket! This can not be happening to me!" Giovanni bellowed, hitting his head against the wall, frustrated.   
"I have no choice but to, sir. All evidence points to it."  
"What evidence?!" Giovanni asked, turning to face the doctor.  
"Well, as you know, that is indeed sleeping powder in that vial."  
"Yeah, we've already discussed that, doctor."  
"Well, we found a tiny bit of blood in the vial as well; Tiny, but not small enough that we couldn't analyze it. So, we analyzed it, and compared it to her blood tests and...um... the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) in the vial was exactly the same as in Ms. Esther's blood tests..."  
"What?! You mean to tell me that that was the exact powder that was in her body not five minutes before?"  
"Exactly, sir. Plus, the blood tests showed no powder whatsoever in her bloodstream."  
"So, you're saying she has unusual abilities?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Hmm...intriguing." Giovanni said, shutting his eyes and thinking. "I'll think I'll have a little chat with Ms. Bryars, and see if she will cough up any information we could use." "I don't know, sir. She probably won't tell us." The doctor said, shaking his head. "Well, doctor, we won't know 'till we try, will we?" Giovanni smiled deviously.  
  
Suddenly, they heard singing again. "Maybe she's using her power again!" The doctor said excitedly. As they snuck into the room, however, they saw no blue light; just Esther, singing quietly. "Oh well. I least we're in time for the concert." Giovanni whispered. Esther's voice was very pretty, as she sang "May It Be" (see chapter 1) in Hyrulean. Giovanni didn't know how, but he was actually able to understand the words. As she quietly sang the chorus, Giovanni translated Mornie utúlië and Mornie Alantië to their English meanings. "Mornie Utúlië, Elven for 'Darkness has come.' Mornie Alantië, 'darkness has fallen.'" The doctor looked at him, confused. "You're able to translate what she's singing?" "Yes. It's the 18th track on the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack, 'May It Be.' I have the CD, so I know how it goes." "Cool!" The doctor said, a little too loudly. Esther stopped singing and looked around the room, frightened. "Who-who's there?" She asked, her voice shaking. "Calm down, Bryars. It's just me and the doctor." Giovanni said, coming out of hiding. "How long have you two been in here?" Esther asked, dreading what the answer was. "A couple minutes after you started singing." The doctor said. Esther frowned. "Great. I only sing when no ones around for a reason." "And what's that?" Giovanni asked, looking at her questionably. "I-I don't sing very well..." She stuttered, blushing slightly. "You're joking, right?" Giovanni said, smiling. "No, I'm not joking." She replied back. Giovanni and the doctor both rolled their eyes. "Don't be so modest, Esther! Of course you can sing well!" Giovanni said, looking her strangely. "No, I don't..." Esther replied quietly. "Whatever, Esther." Giovanni rolled his eyes again. There was an awkward silence for a while, and then Esther broke it. "Um...when can I get out of here? I would like to get back to training soon." "You can go as soon as you're feeling up to it." The doctor replied. "I'm feeling up to it already." She said.   
  
"You sure, Bryars?" Giovanni asked, looking into her violet eyes. "Yes, sir. I'm sure." She replied back, trying her best to unglue her eyes from his, only to find she couldn't. "Ok, but you should probably rest for a while before resuming work." The doctor said, smiling as he observed Esther and Giovanni looking into each other's eyes. "How long, exactly?" Esther asked, finally tearing her eyes away from Giovanni's. "Well, you were unconscious for at least ten hours, so...about, oh, 3-4 hours minimum. If you really want to feel up to par, though, you should recuperate your strength for the rest of the day. If the Boss allows it, though, is the question." The doctor replied, glancing over at Giovanni, who nodded. "I think I can allow that. No since in you fainting again out of sheer exhaustion during training. Robin wouldn't be happy about that." "Ok. Thank you, doctor, for helping me out." Esther said, smiling. "No problem. That's what I'm here for, isn't it?" The doctor said. "Right." Giovanni replied, nodding. "Ms. Esther, if you want me to, I'll take you to your room so you can get some rest." He offered. "Thanks, but I think I can get there myself, sir." She said, slipping off the stretcher. As she did, he caught her in his arms as she faltered. She blushed a light rose color, as Giovanni helped her steady herself. "Thanks for catching me, Boss." She said, smiling brightly. "Hey, no problem, Ms. Bryars." Giovanni said, smiling back. "Maybe I should take you up on that offer anyway." She said. "I think we can do that." He said, lifting her into his arms. "I didn't mean like this, sir! Please put me down." Esther exclaimed, surprised at him. "Well, what DID you mean?" He asked, smiling. "I mean just helping me WALK to my room, Boss." She said, frowning. "Well, the other works better, but okay." Giovanni said, shrugging. As the two of them left the room together, Giovanni's arm draped around her waist as she put her arm around his neck to help steady herself. The doctor shook his head. "He's falling for her, HARD."  
  
After several trips & falls, Giovanni and Esther finally made it back to her and Robin's room. Robin smiled as they walked in together. "Here comes the lovey-dovey couple." She said quietly, but loud enough for them both to hear. Both shoot her a glance that meant, "Stay out of it." Robin smiled, and then returned to reading her romance novel, as Giovanni helped Esther onto her bed. "Thank you very much, sir." Esther said quietly. "You're welcome, Esther." He said softly.   
  
From out of nowhere, both Persians ran to their owners. Persia looked at her master worriedly, then was relieved when Esther, scratching her behind the ear, said quietly, "I'm ok, Persia. Thanks for worrying about me." Persia purred, licking Esther's hand devotedly. Giovanni's Persian purred softly as he rubbed his body against his trainer's leg. Giovanni smiled as he knelt down and stroked Persian's chin warmly. Persian purred happily as he received the rare treatment. He then watched as Persia hopped up on Esther's bed and laid down next to her, purring as Esther rubbed her back gently. He smiled. "That Persian likes you a lot, doesn't she?" Giovanni asked quietly. "Yes. I met her when I was little. She was a Meowth at the time and had been abandoned. I found her and took care of her, and taught her how to battle well. She learned quickly and I earned her respect before that. After she was healed up, I tried to release her back into the wild, but she was determined something fierce to pay me back for taking good care of her when she was injured." Esther said, thinking back to that day. "She refused to leave, she had forged a friendship with me, and she let me capture her in a Pokéball. Since then, we've been inseparable."   
  
"When did she become a Persian?" Giovanni asked, looking at the female Persian. "Um...four years ago, in June." Esther said, remembering the wonderful event. "That's when I decided to call her Persia." Esther said, pointing to Persia's collar, which held a ruby in it. Incrusted in the ruby was a "P" made with diamonds. On the sides of the collar, the name "Persia" shined with its diamonds also. Giovanni smiled as he examined the collar. "Real diamonds and ruby?" He asked, as the ruby shimmered when light hit it. "Yes. I bought that for her shortly after she became a Persian." "Interesting. It's very pretty on her." Persia looked at him and meowed thanks. Giovanni smiled. "You're welcome." He said, petting Persia. Persia purred as his hand moved across her back gently. "You like that, Persia?" Esther asked her quietly. Persia nodded her head. Persian looked at how his master petted Persia and meowed impatiently, waiting for its turn. "Okay, Persian. I'll pet you too." Giovanni replied, stroking its fur caringly. Persian purred happily again as it got the attention it wanted.   
  
After a while, Giovanni got up. "I probably should go. I've got work that needs to be done, though, really, I'd rather be here with you. But," he shrugged. "That's what I get for being the head of Team Rocket." He sighed unhappily. "Then, I'll see you later, sir, I guess." Esther said, her shoulders falling. "Yeah, I hope so. Bye, Esther." He waved. "Bye, sir." She said, waving back to him as he and Persian left the room.  
  
Soon after Giovanni left, Robin burst out into giggles. "Now what, Robin?" Esther asked. "Why won't you just admit you like him?" Robin asked, smiling. "I-I was really dizzy, so he helped me to the room." Esther stuttered, not believing the subject had come up yet again. "I don't think the Boss liked your earlier comment, though. I can just see it now." Esther said, whistling the funeral march. "Yeah, right. Be lucky you have the day off, basically. But tomorrow, I working you two-times as hard to make up for today's little charade." Robin said, a smirk crossing her face. "Whatever, Rob." Esther replied, reaching for her 'The Team Rocket Member Manual' book, which was on the nightstand. She opened the manuscript, took out the bookmark, and started reading page 155 (it has about 300 pages.). Robin frowned. "It's Robin, not Rob!"  
  
The night passed on quickly. Robin kept her promise and worked Esther to the bone the next day. To Robin's surprise and frustration, Esther didn't seem like her energy was going to run out anytime soon. Giovanni, when he had nothing else to do, would watch Esther train, impressed by her spunkiness. Esther would approach the problem she faced wisely, thinking about the best thing to do, and executing that idea, which almost (about 98% of the time) always worked quite well. Although, she sometimes would have to consult the TR manual, she seemed to not need it most of the time. Robin would continually go to the next level in the subject, hoping to tire Esther out a bit. But the satisfaction she wanted from it never came. Esther had been well rested the night before, so it seemed that she would never grow weary, even with no breaks in the training.   
  
But when it was about an hour 'till curfew, Giovanni (who was still there) ordered Robin to stop the training for the day, much to the dismay of Esther. "I can take more then that, sir." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm sure you can, Ms. Bryars, but you two need to get some sleep. It's almost 11 o'clock." He said, pointing to a clock that hung from the wall. "Oh, okay. If you say so." Esther said, and then looked back at Giovanni. "Sir, would it be okay if I ran two or three laps around here? It'll only take a couple of minutes. Please, Boss." She asked sweetly, her eyes shining as she put her hair back in a ponytail. "Well, okay. Two laps. Robin, make sure she doesn't collapse." Giovanni said, nodding. "Yes, sir." Robin said dryly. "She can't run two laps without collapsing, I bet." Robin thought, her eyes burning angrily. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;/matthew they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31." Esther whispered, quoting one of her favorite Bible verses. She stood in a sprinting position and sped off after a few seconds. She completed one lap in 1 minute flat, the second lap she finished in 1 minute, 13 seconds. After finishing both of the laps, she stood erect, slowly breathing in and exhaling out. Giovanni was obviously impressed, smiling as the beautiful young brunette stood before him. "So, Boss, how'd I do?" Esther asked as she put her hair back into a ponytail, hoping he liked her performance. The suspense built, as he stood silent. Esther wished the suspense would build some more, but unfortunately Robin broke it. "If you ask me, you're just trying to show off for the Boss." Robin quipped, smirking. "I am not, Robin, and you know it! You're just trying to get me in trouble, once again. I can't help you don't like me; I try to be the best that I can be, but that's not even good enough for you! Being a Rocket-grunt in training is hard enough, but you make it even worse!" Esther exclaimed, tears rolling down her face. She ran out of the room, sobbing.   
  
Robin frowned. "She'll learn. When, and if, she gets to be on a mission, she'll be glad I'm training her so hard now. But she was just bringing it upon herself, asking me to go up a level in the training before she was ready." "What, are you saying she doesn't have potential?! If you are, you're kidding yourself. She's very sweet, kind, gentle, and brave, but I bet on the battlefield, that equals many victories if used in the right way. She has a fiery spirit, and that, Robin, is what makes her so useful to Team Rocket. We could break that will, and miss the opportunity of a lifetime, or, we could train her to use it for Team Rocket's bidding." Giovanni said angrily at Robin. "Well, I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid I can't train that brat anymore." Robin said, crossing her arms. "So it shall be. I shall train her myself, but I'm also cutting your paycheck in half. Is that what you want, Robin?" Giovanni countered. "Okay, okay! I'll train her! I'll train her!!"  
  
*Note: Purify is a Heroine of Time power. It is learned at Lv. 15. Esther is Lv. 19. 


	6. Chapter 5: Friendship renewed

Chapter 5-  
Friendship renewed  
  
Shortly after his argument with Robin, Giovanni ran out of the room, trying to locate where Esther was. After questioning several different Rockets, he figured that she was probably in her room by now. He hurried to her room, with Persian rushing after him, trying to keep up with his trainer's pace (which is quite fast, mind you.).  
  
He arrived at her room and knocked on it softly. "Who is it?" Esther's voice was accompanied by one or two sobs. "It's me, Esther, your Boss." Giovanni said, figuring she wouldn't want to talk to him. To his surprise, Esther actually responded. "Come in." She said softly.  
  
Giovanni opened the door, finding Esther on her bed, sobbing. "You okay, Es?" He asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. "No, not really." She sobbed. Persia was on the bed, lying next to Esther, trying in vain to comfort her. "What happened in there?" Giovanni asked, gently messaging her shoulders. "I-I guess I was still feeling bad from yesterday, plus Robin worked me so hard today, that, even though I looked like I had a lot of energy left, my nerves were really shot, except for one, which was hanging on like a thread. Then, when Robin ridiculed me again, it just severed that last nerve like a hot knife through butter. That's what caused my emo. Breakdown." Esther told him. "Emo. Breakdown?" Giovanni questioned. "Emotional breakdown." She explained, her sobbing stopped. "If I did anything to add to your stress, I'm sorry." Giovanni said quietly. Esther smiled through her tears at him.  
  
Robin walked in several minutes later, not surprised to see Giovanni still messaging Esther's shoulders gently and speaking to her softly. After noticing Robin, Giovanni reluctantly stopped the massage. He kissed Esther's hand softly, and then left. Robin smiled as she whistled the wedding march once again, but Giovanni's encouraging and calm words had repaired Esther's nerves, or at least most of them, so she wasn't too miffed at Robin after her (Robin's) ranting. Soon after, as Esther lay down to go to sleep, she felt someone's hands on her back, rubbing it sensitively and soothingly. Giovanni had, at some point, re-entered the room. Esther was scared at first, but as his gentle voice entered her ears, she felt comforted. As he continued to caress her, she felt herself drift off to his gentle touch and quiet voice.  
  
The rest of the week passed by quickly. Esther did incredibly well the rest of it. Robin, as usual, picked on her, but Esther had learned to ignore the blonde's ranting. Giovanni stopped by every now and then and checked on her. He seemed to be impressed with her so far. Friday night, Esther drove home in her Porsche. She was excited to see her son & brother again and told them everything, including what had happened Monday night. Link frowned as she told him about it. "Sounds like this guy's dangerous. Please, be careful, sis." "I will, bro." Esther said lovingly.  
  
Saturday was a busy day. Esther went to get a new dress for her "date." After a day of planning, she got ready for her get-together with her "secret admirer." She put on the new outfit, which consisted of a sky blue blouse and black knee-length skirt, along with a blue scarf. When she had gotten ready, she came out of her room. Link, who had been watching Josh, gaped when he saw Esther in her ensemble. "Mommy Pretty." Little Josh cooed. "She sure is, Josh." Link said, smiling. "Es, you look fantastic! That outfit suits you perfectly!" "Thanks, Link!" Esther beamed, blushing a bit. "Wow! Who are you trying to impress?" A voice behind her said. Esther spun around to see Zelda, Link's girlfriend, who helped Link watch Josh. "I'm just meeting someone, Z." Esther said, checking her watch. "Oh my gosh! I'm going to be late!" Esther exclaimed, realizing what time it was. "Bye Link, Josh, Zelda!" She yelled, running out the door.  
  
After climbing into her car, Esther drove to the café as quickly as she could without going over the speed limit. "Okay...the café on Elm and 33rd... this must be it." She said to herself, looking up at the building. After parking the car and locking it, she hopped out and straightened her skirt. She walked towards the restaurant slowly, looking for John.  
  
As she walked on the concrete pathways, she heard a familiar voice. "I'm glad you came, Hadassah." Esther about faced to see John behind her, his face and clothes hidden in the shadows. "You." She said angrily. "How dare you show your face after what you did to me Monday night?! Do you realize what I went through the next day?!" "Yes, I do. I was there through it all, even though you didn't know it." John explained (He's still using the voice changer at this point.). "What?! What are you talking about, John?" Esther exclaimed, backing away from him slowly. "Who are you; what do you want from me?" "I am an old friend of yours. I wanted to get with you before your boss gave you a mission." He answered, pulling her closer to him. "Like I asked, who are you?" Esther repeated, freeing herself from his grasp. "You know me already." He said, turning off his voice changer beforehand. "Wait a minute! Why's your voice lower all of the sudden?!" She asked, fear in her voice. "This is why." He responded, tossing the voice changer at her. She nimbly caught it and looked at it closely. When she looked up, her eyes registered worry and fear at the same time. "Please, tell me who you really are." Her voice trembled.   
  
Giovanni smiled. "I was hoping you would ask (yet again), Essie. I am leader of the Viridian City Gym, and an old friend of yours who has never forgotten our friendship over the years. I am also your Boss. I am Giovanni John Rocket." He answered as he stepped out of the darkness. Esther gasped as he did so. "Bo-Boss?? Wait-a-minute! Giovanni John Rocket?! No way!" She exclaimed, fear in her voice. "I think I can prove that otherwise." He answered, pulling out the photo of them together 5 years before and his ID out of his jacket. Esther looked at them, astonished. "Oh my gosh..." Were the only words she could muster out of disbelief. As she looked up at him, their eyes met once again. Almost involuntarily, she cautiously touched his cheek. "Gio?" She asked, using the nickname she had given him so long ago. "Yes, it's me, Essie." He said happily, holding her hand against his face. "Giovanni!" She cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. The two embraced warmly. "I-I thought I'd never see you again!" Esther sputtered. "Likewise, Hadassah. I knew there was something very familiar about you." Giovanni responded, kissing her cheek.  
  
"How'd you figure out my full name? I only went by Hadassah when we were young." Esther asked, looking deep into his eyes. "Well, it was in your file, and also...I had Robin grab something for me." He said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out her floppy disk. "So that's where it went!" Esther exclaimed, reaching for it. Giovanni held it playfully out of her reach. "Let's eat first, catch up on several things, and then you can have it." "Giovanni!" She exclaimed, hitting him on the arm. "Ow...you're getting some muscles in your arms." He said, rubbing the sore spot, smiling. "Sorry." Esther giggled, almost flirtingly. Giovanni, though, caught her flirtatious glance. "Enough flirting, Essie." Esther blushed a bright rose at his comment and rapidly covered her cheeks with her hands. "Don't do that, Essie." Giovanni said quietly, removing her hands from her face. "You look so much more beautiful when you blush a nice shade of red, or even a light tone of pink."  
  
"Hey, um...are we ever going to eat, Giovanni? I'm kind of hungry..." Esther asked, her stomach growling. "Huh? Oh, of course." Giovanni said. He then took her hand in his and together, they walked into the café. Unknownst to them, however, they were being watched by a disgruntled ex-Team Rocket member who wanted Giovanni gone, for good.  
  
2 1/2 hours later...  
  
"Wow, I can't believe that we had to catch up on so much. I guess four years is a long time to go without seeing your best friend." Esther said happily as the walked out of the eatery. "I know, Es. But when you think about it, nothing's really changed much for these long four years, except for one thing." Giovanni replied. "And what is that 'thing'?" She asked, eyeing him. "Oh...this." He said quietly. The next thing she knew, his lips were pressed against hers and his arms were around her. Esther squeaked, her voice muffled by the kiss. Deep down, she knew she liked it, but she also knew she didn't need to fall for him too hard. Otherwise, she knew there was a chance of getting burned.   
  
After a couple of seconds, she managed to free herself from his grasp, much to his dismay. "What...was that...about?" She said, catching her breath in-between words. "My way of saying how beautiful you've become in four years." He said, smiling as he too caught his breath. "Not that you weren't pretty four years ago, but..." "Well...please, don't do that again. Not without my permission, anyway." She answered back, frowning. Just then, using her highly sensitive ears, she heard something that sounded like a gun click. She turned to where the sound had come from and saw a man point the gun at Giovanni, then he pulled the trigger. She quickly tackled Giovanni. They landed on the ground just as the bullet dug into the tree they had just been standing in front of.   
  
"You okay, Giovanni?" Esther asked, once the couple was on the other side of the building.. "Yeah, I think so. Are you okay, Hadassah?" Giovanni asked her. "Yeah. Maybe a bit of dirt here and there, but otherwise, I'm okay." Esther said, smiling. "What was that?!" Giovanni asked. "Obviously, it was a bullet. Someone just tried to kill you, Giovanni." She said calmly. "Who would want to kill me, Es?" He asked, a note of nervousness in his voice. "I'm not sure. Some really miffed employee of yours is my only guess." Esther replied, hugging him tightly.   
  
"I'm glad your safe, though. Let's get out of here." "Lets." He agreed, as the two walked to their cars. Esther looked to where the would-be assassin had been, but was greeted by the fact he wasn't there anymore. Seeing this, Esther immediately used her Nayru's Love* ability to protect Giovanni for about 48 hours. They said goodbye and left.  
  
*Note: Nayru's Love is a spell from LoZ (Legend of Zelda): Ocarina of Time. It does not last very long, and certainly not 48 hours. Esther, though, has mastered it and can make it last longer if she wants. 


	7. Chapter 6: Secret rooms and would be ass...

Chapter 6- Secret rooms and would-be assassins  
Read the footnotes at the bottom of this chapter for more info!  
  
Monday morning came quickly. Esther, as usual, drove to TRHQ. This was her last week of training, so she knew she would be on a mission or something soon. Around lunchtime, she took a walk around the building to pass the time. As she passed a room in the second floor C-section (for Rank A Rockets), she heard two voices. "Did you even try Saturday night?" A voice asked angrily. "Yeah, but that Bryars kid that jerk Giovanni likes so much tackled him and the shot missed." Another voice replied irritably. Esther's eyes widened in fear as she continued to eavesdrop. "What do you mean, 'that Giovanni likes so much'?" The first voice asked again. "Oh, you should have seen it, Jonathan! They had just gotten out of the café, and they talked for a second, and then, he kissed her full in the lips!" The second voice said, laughing. "So...he likes her and she protected him, eh? Hmph. No matter." Jonathan said evilly. "If she gets in our way, Brenden, we simply eliminate her as well as her Boss." "But...I'd rather not kill her. I would prefer to do something a lot more...satisfying, if you get my drift." Brenden said evilly. Esther felt her anger rise. "If they think they're going to kill Giovanni and rape and/or kill me, they've got another thing coming." She thought.  
  
She fell on purpose against the door, knowing it would draw their attention. "Huh? What was that?!" She heard Jonathan exclaim. The two males opened the door, shocked to find Esther there. "Were you listening in on us?" Jonathan asked sourly. Esther brushed off her skirt and stood up. "Yes, and I don't appreciate your scheming against the Boss and/or me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must report you both to the proper authorities, namely my friend and your ex-Boss, Giovanni.." "Uh, no. I don't think so." Jonathan and Brenden said in unison, pulling out knives. "You're dead, babe." Jonathan replied, smiling wickedly.   
  
"Uh, no. I don't think so." Esther replied back (*author scratches head*Is there an echo in here?), her eyes glowing an angry red. Both boys continued to advance. "Okay, you're going to regret this." She said. Her Triforce mark glowed a brilliant yellow. *Sailor Moon-like scene shows* She transformed before them, the usual blue light surrounding her. When it subsided, she had on her back bat-like wings and a quiver full of arrows (and of course, the bow), and her skirt and top were green now. Her hair was in a large green bow, and was braided with a golden thread through it. A sword was at her left side with a pouch on the right. She let out an Ultrasonic Song* and both men froze, paralyzed. She knew they would be like that for only 30 minutes, and then they would resume the chase. "I wish I had that Tiara**." She thought as she glided (notice it's glided, not flew) down the corridor, her hair fluttering. As she reached the end of the hall, she covered her wings, which were folded now, with her cape and ran to Giovanni's office.  
  
"I'm sorry, but he's meeting someone right now." The secretary told Esther, who frowned. "But you don't understand! It's extremely important! It's a life-or-death situation, for heaven's sake!" Esther exclaimed, fear in her eyes. The secretary sighed, "Okay, I'll see what I can do. Just remember, it's your head, not mine. " The redhead said. She then radioed Giovanni. "Boss?" "This had better be good, Ms. Ascot!" Giovanni snapped over the intercom angrily. "Ms. Esther says she needs to see you. She says it's a 'life-or-death situation'." Ascot said, not really fazed by his anger. There was silence on both ends. "Well, what are you waiting for? Send her in!" He said. Ascot nodded to Esther, who smiled. "Thanks, Ms. Ascot." She said warmly. "Anytime." Came the reply.  
  
Esther walked quickly to his office, almost out of breath. She knocked on the door. "That you, Es?" Giovanni asked through the door. "Ye-Yes, sir." She stammered, shaken by his earlier outburst. Giovanni opened the door and was obviously happy to see her. "Come on in." He said, motioning.   
  
Esther walked into the office as he closed the door. "S-so, whom were you meeting with?" She asked, confused. "No one. I just needed some peace and quiet, and using the excuse that I'm meeting with someone is perfect for doing just that." Giovanni answered, grinning. He then looked her up and down, smiling as he did so. "Let me guess...you're trying to start a new fashion trend? Eh...the 'I'm-ready-to-kick-some-bad-guy's-butt look'?" "Um...no, not really." She said, blushing as she realized she still was in her Heroine of Time outfit.  
  
The characteristic blue light occurred and vanished, leaving her back in her TR uniform. "So...what was this 'Life-or-death situation', as Ms. Ascot put it?" Giovanni asked, smiling. "Well, remember Saturday night, when somebody tried to kill you?" Esther asked. "Yeah." Giovanni nodded. "I...I know who tried to kill you, and someone else is with him, and they're planning another attempt on your life." She stuttered. "Who, Essie, who?" He asked, fear in his voice. "Jonathan and Brenden." Was her answer. "The guys I fired last Thursday? I should've known." He said, scowling. "There's not much time before they try again, is there?" "No. We've got to hide somewhere, fast. Somewhere they won't find us...wait-a-minute! My gym!" She exclaimed. "You have a gym?!" Giovanni asked, surprised. "Yeah. There are two secret rooms that members know about, but no one else. We can hide in one of them." Esther said, smiling. "Well, let's go! The way you're acting, we have no time to lose!" Giovanni said. "But let's go this way." He pressed a button on his desk, which opened a secret passageway in the wall. "Looks like we're both full of surprises!" She said, smiling. "Yeah, something like that." He responded dryly as they dashed down the corridor.  
  
After exiting the complex via the secret passage, they decided to take Esther's car. They both hopped in and drove off. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at her gym outside of town. After making sure they weren't being followed, they entered the building. A girl with sea-green eyes and blue hair immediately greeted them. "Ms. Esther! You're back!" The girl exclaimed, hugging Esther tightly. "Okay, Lydia. Calm down. I'm glad to see you too. Lydia, this is Giovanni. He's a good friend of mine and, he happens to be my Boss. He also owns Viridian City Gym. Giovanni, meet Lydia; She's a good friend and apprentice of mine, shall we say." Esther said as Giovanni and Lydia shook hands.   
  
"Hey, where's Heather? Isn't she supposed to run the gym while I'm away?" Esther asked, narrowing her eyes. "Um...he-he...she's been missing since yesterday..." Lydia said quietly. "What?!" Esther exclaimed. "Don't worry, Ms. Esther! We're almost sure she had her Pokémon with her. We've sent out a search party, though, and they should be able to find her." Lydia said. "Well, I pray that they do. Now, I'm afraid our lives are in peril." Esther explained. Lydia frowned. "You & Mr. Giovanni?" "Yes. We have to hide in the underground secret room. You get all the girls and the kids and hide in the other one. I don't want anyone hurt." Esther said calmly. "But, Ms. Bryars, we'll be oka..." Lydia began. "No! You don't understand how dangerous the guys are that are after Giovanni and I! Go; get all of the girls and kids and hide, NOW! That's a order!" Esther commanded. Giovanni was surprised by the tone of her voice. "Y-yes, ma'am." Lydia said quietly, her voice clearly shaking out of fear. Esther sighed. "I'm sorry, Lydia, I really am. I...I just don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. Forgive me?" Esther asked, extending her hand. "Yeah, I forgive you." Lydia said, shaking it. "Thanks, Lyd." Esther said, dismissing Lydia. She then scurried off to take all the kids and girls into the other secret room.  
  
"Come on, Giovanni." Esther said, taking his hand as they went to the underground room. "Um...one question, Essie." Giovanni said as they walked. "What's that?" She asked. "Um...how come you told her to hide all the kids as well as the girls?" He asked, a confused look on his face. "Well, this isn't just a Pokémon gym, it's also a place of refuge for girls who made a bad decision and...um...slept with their boyfriends before marriage, shall we say, and their families have disowned them because they were pregnant, or won't support them; and it's also a shelter for girls who have been raped, whether or not they're pregnant. I opened up the gym because: 1) I love Pokémon, and 2) I myself have been raped and gotten pregnant. That's why I've got a son." Esther explained, blushing several times. "Huh? You didn't tell me you had a son." Giovanni said, looking at her questionably. "I-I didn't want to drive you away." Esther answered. "Look, can we just discuss this later, Giovanni? I'm not in the mood to talk, I'm in the mood to hide." "Sure." Was the reply.  
  
"We have to go down there?!" Giovanni asked, as they stood before the gym's pool. "Yeah, sorry, but it's the safest & shortest route, and, as you can see, the hardest to get to." Esther apologized, entering the water. "This is a designer suit (An Armani, to be exact)! It cost me $300! It's not supposed to get wet; it'll be ruined!" He complained. "Hey, what would you rather lose: Your life or 300 dollars?" She asked, eyeing him. "Well, obviously, the 300 bucks." He replied. "Okay, then. Come on!" She beckoned. Giovanni knew he had lost the battle right there.   
  
"I'm going to regret this." She heard him comment as he too walked into the water. "Oh, for the love of Pete." Esther said. "I'll make you a deal, Giovanni." "What sort of deal, Bryars?" Giovanni asked, who was waist deep in the water already. "This sort of deal: Shut up and stop with the whining..." She began. "I was not whining!" He insisted. "Okay, complaining, then. Same thing. Anyway...stop with the complaining, and I just might kiss you when we get there. You can't complain on the way there, or after we get there; and I know you can't pass up an offer like this, Giovanni." She said slyly. "You're right, Essie. If it's the lip-connecting kind, there's no way I can pass it up." He said, smiling. "You men are all the same." Esther quipped.  
  
"We are not!"  
  
"Careful, Giovanni; you're sounding like you're complaining again."  
  
Giovanni followed slowly as she led the way to the underwater room. She led them to a wall. Her Triforce mark glimmered as she pressed the back of her left hand against a stone. She then motioned for them to go to the surface to get a gulp of air. They surfaced quickly, took deep breaths, and then dove back under. The wall had moved just enough for them to pass through. As they swam into the corridor together, the wall closed behind them.  
  
A couple of seconds later, they surfaced once again. Giovanni saw they were in some sort of storage space, filled with boxes of what looked to be food and supplies for a while. He grabbed the platform in front of him, welcoming the cool air that filled his lungs. As Esther did the same, the platform moved slightly down. "Ahh!" Giovanni yelled. "Don't worry; it does that automatically. It's so it'll be easier to pull yourself onto it." She explained. "Now, swing your legs onto it." Both of them did just that, though it took Giovanni a bit longer because of the weight of the water in his clothes. At last, both of them were up in the room. "This your 'secret room'?" He asked, sitting down to rest. "No, it's a little beyond here." Esther said, resting next to him. "I guess we can spare a few minutes. I'm going to check our reserves, see if there's anything we might need." She said, rising to her feet and moving over to the boxes.   
  
Giovanni decided to look around also, but as he walked over to some other boxes, he felt a stone tilt under his feet. "Huh? This stone...it doesn't look like the others..." He whispered to himself as he knelt down beside the stone. He pushed one of the edges and it did indeed tilt. He then pulled it out of the floor to reveal a hole of sorts. "Okay, I found some rope, a flashlight, and..."Esther began, then stopped as she saw Giovanni remove the stone. "What in the world are you doing, Giovanni?!" She asked, shocked. "This rock in the floor, it's not like the others. It tilts." He explained, putting the stone onto the floor next to the hole. "Can I use that flashlight for just a quick second, Essie?" He asked, looking into the hole. "Um...okay." She agreed, handing it to him. "Thanks." He responded as he turned it on. He shined the beam around in the hole and was surprised to see a wooden chest in it. "There's a chest in here!" He exclaimed. "A chest?!" She echoed. "I thought I just said that." Giovanni replied, pulling the chest out of the fissure. "Kind of light. Probably not gold, otherwise it'd weigh more." He said, touching the chest's lock. "Well, don't just sit there, Giovanni, open it!" Esther coaxed. "Okay, okay! Chill out." He said, pulling a lock pick out of his pocket. Inserting it into the padlock, he jiggled it around for a couple of seconds until he heard the lock click. He removed the pick and the lock fell to the ground. Esther knelt beside him and together, they opened the lid of the trunk carefully.  
  
Inside, they were amazed to find a gold tiara on top of a royal purple silk pillow. Encrusted in the middle of the crown was a large opal, which was over three small heart-shaped stones. These stones appeared to be an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire. On the left side of the opal, there was a citrine (yellow in color), another emerald, and another ruby, only these stones were bigger than those under the opal. On the other side, there was a sapphire, an amethyst, and an orange-colored peridot. These were the same size as those on the left. At the peak of the circlet, there was a diamond shaped (guess what?) diamond. Giovanni carefully picked up the cushion upon which it sat. He then rotated it to see the inside of the tiara.  
  
On the inside, there was Hyrulean writing. Giovanni and Esther examined it with interest. "Ü cöla é time: en thi n ü sond láda é time, ü ládé é time, ý gu wer up hid minis lo ku lo hut hid ü wer é bur (this is just a bunch of gibberish that the author made up)." Esther said quietly, as Giovanni looked at her, puzzled. "Huh?" He replied. "What does, 'The Tiara of Time: When worn by the second Hero of Time, the Heroine of Time, it will power up her abilities as well as grant her the power of flight.' Mean?" Esther looked up at him, shocked. "How...how did you translate that?" She asked. Giovanni shrugged. "Beats me. I just knew that's what it said. What it means, though, is a puzzlement."   
  
"Weird. I just met someone other than Link & I who can translate Hylian. This has got to be a dream!" Esther said, pinching herself. "Ow! Okay, so it's not a dream." She said. "Whatever that phrase in the tiara means, I...I don't know." She fibbed. He rolled his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Es. I know you know what it means." He responded. "Okay, so I do. But I'm not telling you. It's a secret." She replied defiantly, turning around. "Best friends share secrets, Es." He whispered into her ear, putting his arms around her. Esther backed away from him. "Do not get that close again." She growled. Giovanni frowned. "Okay, I won't get that close to you again. Sheesh, you're in a bad mood." He said, turning back to the tiara.   
  
Esther frowned. He was right; she was in a bad mood. She knew she had probably hurt his feelings, so she tried to think of a way to make it up to him. An idea came to her, and she decided to put her plan into action. She slid over to where he sat, inspecting the crown. "Um...Giovanni?" She said quietly. "Yes, what is it?" He replied, not turning around.   
  
"Um...Giovanni...I'm sorry I-I got angry with you. I'm...I'm just really worried."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"You, the girls, my brother and my son, weather or not those two idiots will find us...I-I get...oh, what's that word...'jittery,' shall we say, when I worry so much. And when I get jittery, I get a little...umm..." Esther replied, racking her head for the right word. "Testy?" Giovanni suggested. "Yes, testy. Thank you." She said, smiling. "I get testy when I worry too much. I'm sorry for being mean to you like that. Forgive me?" She heard Giovanni sigh heavily. "Okay, I forgive you." He said, quietly. He turned and extended his hand. "Best friends forever?" "Best friends forever." Esther said, shaking his hand. Before he could react however, she pulled him close and planted a kiss on his cheek.   
  
As quick as it had started, Esther pulled back, blushing. "What was that about?" Giovanni said. "That was to make up for me getting angry at you." Said Esther, smiling. "Can I have another kiss on the cheek when we get there?" He asked. "Well...maybe. When we get to the room, we'll talk about it." She replied, turning to the chest. "What are we ever going to do with this?" "I say you get the tiara. I bet it'd look good on you." Giovanni said. "Okay, whatever. We need to get to that secret room now." Esther said, checking her watch.  
  
5 minutes later...  
  
"Let me light some candles so it won't be so dark in here." Esther said, flipping on her flashlight to locate them. Giovanni watched as she lit the candles around the room. "Here we go." She said, blowing out the match. "Why don't you sit down on the sofa? We can talk a bit, since we're pretty much safe." "Okay." Was all he said as he sat down on the plush sofa. "So...how come you came into my room Monday night and did what you did?" She asked as she sat beside him. "Well, when I read your little diary, I wanted to surprise you." "Not that. I mean...the kiss and the sleeping powder thing." Esther said, eyeing him. "Umm...well..." Giovanni stuttered. Suddenly, he just broke down and hugged Esther tightly, tears forming in his eyes as he remembered what had hapened. "Giovanni, what's wrong?!" She exclaimed as she felt a tear slide onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Essie! I should have just told you in person instead of doing what I did! I'm sorry!" He sobbed sadly, his head laying on her shoulder. "I guess you're still mad at me, right?" "Uh..." Esther said, trying to figure out what to do. Should she push him off of her, and rebuke him for thinking that she was still angry with him? Or, should she take the gentler path, and just let him cry it out and assure him that she wasn't miffed at him any longer, and that she had forgiven him when he had admitted to it? She decided to take the nicer way and put her arms around his back as he cried on her shoulder (literally). "It's okay, Giovanni. I forgave you the moment you confessed to it." She whispered kindly. "You did?" He asked, his sobbing stopped. "Of course, Giovanni. I couldn't stay mad at you." She responded, hugging him again. Giovanni looked into her eyes and smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Essie." "You're welcome." She replied, letting go of him.   
"Um...Essie?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Um...can I ask something of you?"  
  
"Sure. What is your request?"  
  
"Um...Um..."  
  
"Well...?"  
  
"*Blushes light red*Can I have another hug?" Giovanni asked. Esther smiled warmly. "Of course you can. You can have as many hugs as you want-slash-need (in writing, that's want/need)." "Thanks, Es." He replied as they embraced once again.  
  
After about ten full minutes of hugging, they heard a voice come out of the darkness. "Whoa! You were right, Brenden! They do like each other!" Giovanni and Esther both looked up as the lights turned on. They were blinded for a second, but as their eyes adjusted to the bright light, they could see it was Brenden and Jonathan, who pointing small handguns at them. "Huh? How did you guys get here?!" Esther exclaimed, still clinging to Giovanni as they stood up. "Oh, we just in-listed some help, that's all." Jonathan said, tugging hard on a rope. Instantly, an 18-year-old girl fell down in front of them, her lilac hair wet with tears. "Heather!" Esther exclaimed. "What are you doing with them?!" "Forgive me, Ms. Esther...they tormented me so badly, it just slipped out...I'm sorry..." Heather said, her blue eyes hot with tears. "Let her go!" Esther ordered the two men. "Sure. We have no further use for the brat." Brenden said, untying the rope. Heather ran up to her leader, kneeling before her. "It's okay. You tried, and that's all that matters." Esther said, hugging Heather. "Keep him talking, Gio. I have a plan." Esther whispered, pulling Heather with her behind him. "Okay." Giovanni said quietly.   
  
"So...why exactly do you want to kill us?" Giovanni asked, hoping to give Esther enough time to ready her plan. "Easy. You fired both of us." Jonathan said, smirking. "Okay, but what does killing Esther accomplish?" Gio asked. "Well, we don't actually want to kill her...we're going to rape her instead!" Both boys threw their heads back and laughed evilly. Esther knew now was the time to act. She leapt in front of Heather and Giovanni, landing in a knelling position. "You've gone too far now!" She yelled, her eyes blazing. "You insult my boss and friend, you conspire against him, AND you plan to rape me?! I do not think so!" Esther then used her transforming powers to change to her Heroine of Time form. Giovanni and Heather gaped as she did so: Giovanni because of her powers and how much more beautiful she was becoming; Heather because she didn't know her friend could do that. After Esther was finished, she pulled her sword out of its sheath; its blade glowed an angry violet as it was pointed towards its oppressors. "I wouldn't get too close, Butler, Pendergrass. Avenger here can easily cut through a whole tree, not to mention a human, so I suggest you not get to cocky." She said, lovingly stroking Avenger's blade. "Ha! I bet it couldn't stand up to a .90 caliber handgun!" Jonathan laughed, pointing the gun at Esther, who promptly taunted him anime'-style. "Grr...Now you're going to get it!" He yelled, pulling the trigger. Before it could reach its intended target, however, Esther used Nayru's Love to form a wall in front of her. The bullet hit the wall and dropped harmlessly to the ground. "Hide in that corner over there!" She whispered to Giovanni and Heather, who promptly nodded and obeyed. Brenden saw this opportunity and fired at them. Esther leapt in front of it, deflecting the bullet with her sword, and causing the deflected shot to hit Brenden's lower right leg. He howled in pain as he sank to one knee. She landed in front of Giovanni and Heather on her side. She got up quickly and deflected the next shot, which came from Jonathan.  
  
The battle continued, with Jonathan and Brenden continuously firing, and Esther blocking each one. When the villains changed to a higher caliber gun with a wider spread of bullets, however, she found she couldn't block each and every one, leading to Giovanni's left arm being hit. He cried out as it hit his arm, which caused it to bleed quite badly. "Heather! Nurse the wound as well as you can!" She yelled to heather, who nodded. Esther knew she'd have to hurry & beat the 2 boys, who seemed to have an endless supply of ammo. She cast Nayru's Love, in wall form again, and used the time it bought her to tend to Giovanni's arm. "Ow...looks bad. Let me try something." She said, her Triforce mark glowing. She then pressed her hand against the wound. Instantly, the bleeding stopped and the cut mended. Giovanni looked at where the wound had been and smiled as Esther looked for something to use to attack their enemies. "Come on, something to attack with..." She mumbled. "Esther, the chandelier!" Giovanni whispered urgently, shifting his eyes towards the ceiling. "Thanks!" She replied quietly. She began to get ready to use another Ultrasonic Song, the remembered she didn't have enough MP***. "Drat..." She said, and then, she remembered another ability that would freeze Brenden and Jonathan in their tracks, but for less time (Max. Time: 5 minutes): Fairy Dust****. She turned to Giovanni and looked at him pleadingly. "May I please use the Tiara? Pleeease?" She begged. He saw how desperate she looked and nodded, a smirk crossing his face. "I told you it's yours. Of course!" "Oh, I didn't hear you. Sorry." She responded. He took the circlet out of the chest, which he had had behind him the entire time, and placed it upon her head. She closed her eyes as he did so, ready to except her new powers and abilities. A yellow light surrounded her as "That Voice (As Giovanni describes it)" came again. "Estrella learns Fly, **Dive-bomb***, and ***Fairy Dive-bomb***!" The voice said. Giovanni scratched his head. "It's 'that voice (Told 'ya)' again..." "Who the you-know-where is Estrella?" Heather asked, puzzled. "Who cares?!" Giovanni said, pointing to Esther, who was now in the air. Her wings moved so fast that they were just a purple-&-pink blur. "Fairy Dust!" She cried out, moving her wings even faster (though Giovanni couldn't see how that was possible, they were so fast before.). Jonathan and his cohort watched in awe and fear as green sparkling dust secreted from her wings. They had no time to dodge it, however, and were frozen in place.  
  
Esther then flew up to the chandelier and started hacking at the chain. The five minutes the dust gave her was just enough time to weaken the chain to the point where something as small as an arrow could break it easily. Esther saw this and smiled. She landed softly and put Avenger back into its sheath. She then pulled out a bow and an arrow and aimed it at the weakened metal chain. After a couple of seconds, she let the arrow fly and watched as it severed the chain, bringing the whole chandelier on top of their opponents.  
  
Read these for more info!!  
Footnotes:  
*Ultrasonic Song: Esther just emits Ultrasonic waves at her opponent(s), paralyzing them for up to 10 minutes, as opposed to the short 5 minutes of Fairy Dust.  
  
**Tiara: The Tiara of Time: Created by Nayru, "goddess" of Wisdom, herself, this Tiara gives the Heroine of Time the ability of flight and grants her new abilities. These powers depend on what level the user is at. It also is an attack and defense enhancer. The Diamond represents purity, staying abstinent until marriage, which works in Esther's case, since she has never slept with a man on her own accord. She has been raped twice by part 2, however. The three stones underneath it represent 5 or 6 things: Farore, Din, and Nayru: The "golden goddesses"; Grass (or wood), Fire, and water, 3 of the 4 elements of nature; the Kokiri, Gorons, and Zoras; The Spiritual Stones of the three races; and it may also represent Power, Wisdom, and Courage; and it is believed to be associated with the three Heroes of Time: Link, Giovanni, and Esther. This may also be a clue to each one's strengths and/or weaknesses: Link, who wears green, has no glaring weaknesses; Giovanni, who dons red-and-gold-tipped armor as an adult, uses fire "spells" and has the best offense of the three of them. Power has a price, however, as he has a weakened defense (a tad lower than Link's), which commands the need of the armor, a Hylian shield, and Esther's defensive powers. Though he has this defense problem, he is able to withstand hot temperatures, and doesn't like wet places, as a general rule. He also is weak to water attacks (though he can swim just fine and not get hurt.), but he is good versus ice; Esther, sporting green as a kid and blue (Sometimes, but mostly Green) as an adult, has a good offense, but has the best defense. She uses both water and ice "spells" and can swim and dive the best. She also flies a lot and has the ability to heal, and, when she gets to Lv. 24, revive a fallen teammate, making her an essential part of the team.  
  
***MP: "Magic (or ability)" Power. Because I dislike the words "Magic (referring to slight-of-hand stage tricks)" and "Magick (referring to the occult type of Magic)", I prefer to call this AP, or "Ability Power", though I called it MP in this chapter so you'd know what I'm talking about. The first "magic" bar has approximately 24 units (use Din's Fire 'till you run out, and count how many times it took and multiply that number by 6). The 2nd has 48.  
  
****Fairy Dust: Esther fans this stuff from her wings and paralyzes the enemy, but for only about 5 minutes.  
  
*****Dive-bomb: Esther flies up into the air and, literally, dive-bombs into the opponent.  
  
******Fairy Dive-bomb: A normal dive-bomb, but it also paralyzes the enemy. 


	8. Chapter 7: The aftermath, the promotion,...

Sorry it's been so insanely long since I updated last: Stupid me for not updating more often. ( Also, this story has been jacked up to a PG rating, though I'm not sure whether it should be a PG or a PG-13. Mostly 'cause of partially censored profanity, and for a plot twist later on in the story. Also, there is a little Angst in this chapter, where Giovanni talks about losing his sister-in-law. Well, I don't know if Angst is the appropriate word for it, but I think it is. Oh, what the heck, I'll stop talking so you don't get bored to death, and we wouldn't want that, would we?? ( By the way, DOES ANYONE know how to keep the story formatted once it goes on FF.Net??  
  
Chapter 7- The aftermath, the promotion, and a little insanity! ^_^  
  
As the police took Brenden and Jonathan away, with Jonathan screaming at the top of his lungs, "Someday, Giovanni, I'm going to have my revenge on you! And your girlfriend, Esther Bryars, is going to be the one I take it out on!! Make no mistake, you shall both pay dearly!" as he was placed in the police car, Giovanni frowned and held Esther, who was in some regular clothes (and back to her normal form) she had found in the secret room, close as he yelled back, "Yeah right, Butler! You'll never touch her! I'll make sure of it!!"  
  
After the police left, Giovanni looked at his watch and frowned. "It's already 5:00. We'd better head back to headquarters." He said, motioning towards her car. "Yes, we should be getting back now so I can at least get SOME training done today. Man," She sighed, leading him to the Porsche. "Robin is going to kill me..." "Not if I can help it. I'll call her and tell her you've been with me most of today, and I'll explain it to her in the morning. You need to get some rest, though. You look bushed." Giovanni replied, hopping into the passenger's seat. "Yeah. So, what do I do? Drop you off at your place, or what?" Esther asked as she turned the key in the ignition. "Yeah. But first, let me call Robin before we get out of here." He answered, dialing the Rank A Rocket. "Hello?" Robin's voice was little more than a growl. "It's me, Robin." Giovanni answered. "Oh, I'm sorry, Boss Giovanni! I'm just kind of in a bad mood right now, since Esther hasn't been back to training in 5 hours!" She said unhappily. "Well, that's what I'm calling you about. Ms. Bryars has been with me for those 5 hours she has been absent at training. I'll explain why tomorrow. As for Esther, when she gets there, you are not to give her grief at all. She and myself have had a...hectic afternoon, shall I call it. I'm basically giving her the rest of the day off to rest and recuperate. Understood?" He answered. "Yes, sir." Robin sighed.  
  
As Giovanni closed the phone, Esther frowned. "It doesn't matter that you told her not to give me grief. She'll do it anyway." She said, shifting the gear to reverse. She backed up out of the parking space and then changed to first gear and sped off.  
  
After they were in Viridian City limits, she stopped at a stop sign. "Which way?" She asked. "That way. Then just continue on straight until I tell you to turn." Giovanni said, pointing eastward. Esther nodded and followed his directions. After about 10 minutes, they approached her sub-division. "Turn into that sub-division there." He pointed towards the sign. Esther obeyed and turned onto the road. "This is my sub-division." She replied, brushing back a strand of her hair. "It is?" He asked, shocked. She nodded. "Yeah. See? That's my house right there. My brother lives there with me, my son, and his girlfriend." She answered, motioning to the sky-blue residence. "Your brother lives with you?! Can I go see him?" He asked pleadingly. "Well...okay!" Esther answered enthusiastically, turning into the driveway.  
  
Esther knocked upon the front door, and heard Zelda yell to Link, "Link, can you get that?" "Yeah, I'm way ahead of 'ya!" Link yelled back, opening the door. "Hi, Link!" Esther said happily. "Sis!" He yelled, hugging her tightly and letting them in. "What are you doing home so early? Did something happen at work?" He asked as he closed the door. "No... Well...yes." She stuttered, then remembered Giovanni was there. Link, though, had already noticed him. "Who's this, Esther?" Link asked, taking an immediate dislike to Giovanni. "Remember Giovanni John Rocket, my old friend from when I was little?" She asked. "Yeah." Link answered, eyeing Giovanni again and frowning. "Well, I found out last Saturday that he's my old friend! He also happens to be my Boss." Esther exclaimed happily. "You're Giovanni?!" Link asked, wide-eyed. "Yes. I am Giovanni John Rocket." Giovanni said, crossing his arms. "Man, you've shot up like a weed! Where's that barely 5 foot kid my sister used to know?!" Link exclaimed, looking up to Giovanni, who smiled. "Yeah, I hit a growth spurt when I turned 12." The Boss Rocket replied, looking to Esther. "Don't worry, Gio. He's not usually this way." Esther said, tugging on his arm. "Come on! I want you to meet Zelda and Josh!" She then pulled him into the living room.  
  
"Mommy!" Josh exclaimed as Esther & Giovanni entered the living room. He ran to her and laughed happily as she scooped him up into her arms. "Hi, honey!" Esther said happily, hugging the 2-year-old. "Giovanni, this is Josh, my son." She replied to Giovanni, who smiled. "Cute kid." Came the response. "Josh, sweetie, this is mommy's friend." She told Josh, pointing to Giovanni. The little boy said nothing and buried his face into his mother's hair. Esther smiled at Giovanni. "I'm afraid he's a little shy." She then turned to Zelda and, using her free hand, motioned to her. "This is Zelda, Link's girlfriend. She helps Link take care of little Josh when I'm away." Zelda smiled and bowed deeply. "Zelda, this is Giovanni. He's my old friend from long ago. He's also my Boss." Esther said. "Hello." Zelda replied quietly. "She's a little shy too." Esther then told Giovanni, who nodded.  
  
After 2 hours of chatting, Esther looked at the clock and frowned. "It's already 7:00! I should have dropped off Giovanni earlier!" "Huh? Wow. Time flies!" Giovanni smiled. Soon after, the two left and Esther drove Giovanni to his house, which was only 2 houses down. It wasn't hard to miss, however, as it was more of a mansion than a house. "My mom left me and Bruno when I was 14. I inherited the estate, the house, and 3/4's of the money." He explained. "Bruno looked out for me until I turned 15, then he, his wife, and their 6-year-old daughter Mi moved to that house over there." He pointed to a yellow painted house much like Esther's as far as style went. "His wife died of cancer two weeks before my interview with you. That was hard on everybody, especially Bruno and Mi. Bruno was so in love with her..." He said, sighing. Esther watched sadly as a tear formed in his eye, and then he shook his head. "Little Mi was really hurting after that. Poor thing loved her mom so much. Now all she's got are Bruno and I." He continued, sighing again as they pulled into his driveway. "When Marina passed away, I was hurt pretty badly too. She was, really, sometimes the only female I could talk to, other than Mi. She was really nice too. Really kind and sweet. I'll admit she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, but she was quite pretty." "That's so sad that she died. How old was she?" Esther asked, fighting off the urge to hug & comfort him, for it was so obvious he was still hurting inside. "25." He answered quietly. "25?!" Esther exclaimed. "Yeah. If they had found the cancer earlier, they might have saved her, but...they only found it when she was having a CAT-scan for something else. And that was...4 months before..." He stopped mid-sentence. "I'm probably depressing you, aren't I?" "Kind of." She answered, smiling. "I lost my "Foster" Great-aunt Juanita when I turned 12 to cancer. And before that, I lost both my "foster" parents in a car crash when I was 10. You're not alone." Giovanni looked at her awestruck, wondering how she had lasted this long under such great losses.  
  
"Um...in case you haven't noticed, we're at your house." Esther said. Giovanni looked up and they were indeed at his mansion. "Oh." Was all he said as he said as he removed his seat belt. "Thanks for the ride home." He replied, opening the car door. He then stopped and frowned. "Um...what about my car?" He asked. "Omigosh! I totally forgot about it! I'm sorry!" She apologized frantically. "Don't worry, I'll get Bruno to take me down there and pick it up tomorrow." He answered. "Wait! Let me at least make it up to you! I'll take you if you want me to." Esther offered quickly. Giovanni looked at her and smiled. "Okay. I'll see you at 7 AM tomorrow, then. Don't be late." He then turned to go, then stopped and turned, as if he had forgotten something. "Oh, before I forget..." With that, he kissed her on the cheek. He pulled away slowly after a few seconds. "Night, sugar." He said, slowly turning and heading for his house. Esther smiled. "Watch the food seasonings reference!" She yelled to him, laughing.  
  
**Next day, after Esther picks Giovanni up...**  
  
The next morning, Esther paced outside of Giovanni's office as he explained everything to Robin. Everything, that is, except for the parts where they had kissed (on the cheek, of course). "So, you want me to go easy on her, even though she missed..." Robin stopped to count how many hours of training Esther had missed. "11 hours of training yesterday?! Giovanni, sir, let's be serious!" "I am being serious! The discussion is closed, Robin! If I get word from anyone, Esther or otherwise, that you make her train to the point where she collapses from exhaustion, or can barely move, you're going to regret it. If she blacks out...start packing your bags. And if she dies, or comes very close to it...consider yourself on the wanted list as a traitor. If that happens, you might as well turn yourself in to the police, because I'll have my best assassins on you. Got it?!" He bellowed. "Yes sir." She said, turning. "Just because you have the hots for her doesn't mean you have to threaten to kill people who hurt her..." She mumbled. "I heard that, Robin! And for the record, I only like her in that she has potential!" He called out from the office. "Yeah. Right." Robin growled as she cast a glance at Esther and walked off in a huff. "Boss?" Esther said, knocking on the door. "Come in, Essie!" He beckoned, his harsh voice changing to a friendly one.  
  
"You wanted to see me, sir?" She asked once she was in his office. "It's Giovanni, Essie, when we're alone." He corrected. "Us? Alone?" She said, shuddering. "Chill. It's not like I'm going to hurt you or anything!" He snapped, still miffed at Robin. Esther immediately dropped her head out of fear. Giovanni saw this and sighed. "I'm sorry, Essie. I'm just really ticked off at Robin's behavior lately." He then placed his hand under her chin and, tilting it upward, he saw tears in her eyes. "Please, don't cry, Es." He said as one rolled down the side of her face. "Here, use one of these." He handed her a Kleenex, which she wiped her face with. "Thanks." She replied quietly. "Here, come sit here next to me." He motioned to the couch in the room. He took her hands in his and brought her over. She sat down slowly, trembling & still scared from the recent anger he had shown. "I shouldn't have talked to you so harshly like that." He told her, stroking her hair. "Well...Robin can be a great big pain in the butt sometimes." Esther said, as if dismissing his earlier outburst. "Maybe so, but that doesn't give me an excuse to talk to you like that." He answered pulling her close and hugging her. "I have something I want to tell you, Essie, and I think it'll lift your spirits." "Yeah? Good, cause I need something to lift 'em right now." She sighed. "I want to thank you for saving my life yesterday and for healing that wound. I was very impressed about how you dealt with the situation, that you didn't chicken out and how you blocked those bullets and all..." He said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You probably didn't feel like you were at the time, but you were proving your loyalty to the whole Team Rocket empire and to me as you held them off. I don't know if you did it out of loyalty to Team Rocket, me as your employer, or me as your friend, but, anyway, I thank you." "I was just doing my job, Giovanni." She replied. "Um...but protecting your Boss wasn't in your contract." He answered, smiling. "Doesn't matter, still my job." She repeated, smiling back. "Well, whatever the case, I'm giving you a reward." He told her. Esther felt like someone had dropped a bomb as her jaw dropped in shock. "Reward?!" She exclaimed. "Yes, I think you deserve something for your heroic efforts." He answered, smiling at the shock on her face. "But I don't want a reward!" She protested. Giovanni frowned. "You can't be serious." "I am, though!" She said. "Oh, pull-eeezzz (a very long drawn out version of please)! I'm rewarding you, whether you like it or not." He answered. "But..." She started. "No 'but's." He finished, hitting the intercom on his desk. "Kay?" he called. "Yes sir?" the voice on the other end replied. "Go to the Uniform department and get a altered- female Rank B uniform and bring it to my office, stat!" Giovanni instructed. "Okay...what size?" The boy asked. "What size are you, Es?" Giovanni asked Esther, who reluctantly gave up arguing with him. "Size..." She checked the tag of her jacket. "5." "Good." He said, smiling. "A size 5, Kay." He said over the intercom. "Size 5?! Whoa! Who do you have in there, Boss, an anorexic?!" Kay exclaimed. "Just get it, will you?" Giovanni bellowed. "Okay, Boss." Kay replied.  
  
Esther smiled after Giovanni was off the intercom. Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "I know its probably confidential info, but how much do you weigh, anyway?" "125 pounds." She explained. Giovanni's jaw dropped. "125?! That's it?!" Esther nodded. "Yeah. It's because of my high metabolism. No matter how much I eat, I stay at around 125 pounds!" "Whoa..." He said, smiling. Esther frowned. "What, do you disapprove of my being thin and tall?" "No, No! Not that at all!" He exclaimed. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Boss?" Kay asked. "Yes, Kay?" Giovanni replied. "Uh...I got the uniform." The youth answered. "Oh. Come on in." Giovanni instructed. The door opened and a tanned, muscular teenage boy about a year older than Giovanni sauntered in, holding the Rank B uniform up. "Here it i..." He started then, and then stopped when he saw Esther. "Whoa." he said, getting that look in his eyes (the look Brock gets in his eyes when he's around pretty girls. *-* Yeah, that look.). Esther frowned, as he got closer to her. "Who's this?" Kay asked dreamily. "This is Ms. Esther Bryars. Esther, this is Paul Kay, we call him Kay for short." Giovanni introduced the two. Esther grimaced as Kay started drooling. "Oh no." She thought, as he got closer to her. "HimynameisKayandIthinkyourebeautifulohandithinkihavefalleninlovewithyou." He said quickly (A/N: fast forward mode ^_^). "Hellokay, mynameisEstherandIdon'tgiveacarethatyouthinkyou'vefalleninlovewithme, sobuzzoffandbugsomeoneelse, loser. (A/N: Fastforwardmodeoff...waitaminuteitsstuck! [*Consultsownersmanual*] waitasecond, letmegetthisthingoff...that's better! *_*[Don't you love fast forwarding the sentences? ^_^] Sorry, a little insanity there. ^_^ Me LOOOVE insanity!)" She replied. Giovanni snickered as Kay began to chase Esther around the room. "Come back here, love!" Kay yelled, trying to tackle her. "Yeah right!" She yelled back, jumping out of the way. "Giovanni! Help! Get this psycho son of a you-know-what away from me!" She screamed, running to him. "But I find this entertaining!" He reasoned. "Well, you won't when you get a fat lip!" She warned, only to be pursued by Kay again. "Oh, alright. Kay, stop chasing her!" Giovanni smiled. "But..." Kay started. "No 'but's. Now, out!" He bellowed, pointing to the door. "Yes sir." Kay said downheartedly, walking out of the room.  
  
"Thank you." Esther replied, panting. "You're welcome. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. You protesting me giving you a reward. As I was saying, I'm giving you a reward, whether you like it or not. Actually, two rewards. One is the promotion, the other I'll have to get from the store." Giovanni said, smiling. "I just told you, I don't wanna reward! I did what I did out of loyalty to Team Rocket and to you. I don't expect, nor want, a material reward in return. The only thing I want is that you remain safe and that Team Rocket continues to flourish as long as you are our leader, sir!" She answered humbly. Giovanni laughed. "Now THAT is the attitude I'd like to see more of in Team Rocket members! Now, before you start acting like a poet again, I'd like to ask you a question..." "Sure thing, sir! Ask away!" She replied. "I know this is a little fast and all...but...I was wondering if you would...um...willyougooutwithmeSaturdaynight, Essie (A/N: this isn't fast forward mode, he just says this really fast!)?" He blurted out. "Uhh...well...I don't think I have any plans Saturday..." She answered, not believing what he had just asked her. "Well, whether you accept or not, you'll be OFFICIALLY promoted Monday morning, since this is your last week of training, AND I'm giving you a 30% raise." He informed her. "A 30% RAISE?!" She exclaimed. "Yes, I think you deserve it."  
  
"You're kidding me, right?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, thank you, sir! You're very considerate!" She replied, bowing deeply at the waist. "Yeah, whatever." He said. "So, do except my request?" "Well...okay. As long as I don't have anything." She answered. "Thanks. I'll pick you up 7:30 P.M., Es." He smiled, running his fingers through her hair affectionately. Esther frowned. "Chill out, Boss." She then checked her watch. "I better get to training. Bye, Giovanni!" She said, leaving the room. "Bye, Esther!" He called back, and then continued. "Remember, whether you like it or not, I'm rewarding you!"  
  
As she closed the door, thoughts flooded her mind. "He just gave me a promotion, a raise, and he asked me out! Kyaa!! Life here is good!" She thought happily as she skipped merrily to her room, her new uniform in her arms.  
  
Robin growled jealously as Esther walked in, clutching the White Rocket uniform tightly to her chest. "I can not believe this!" Robin exclaimed, "He made you a Rank B??? Sheesh! He must really have the hots for you if he's promoting you already after about 2 weeks! Of course, your looks don't help the situation any." "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Esther asked, putting the uniform on her bed. "You know what I mean, Bryars!" Robin scorned, crossing her arms. "Okay, um.can we get to training already?" Esther replied, trying to change the subject. "Oh, so you want to resume training? Finally! Come with me outside. This'll be your first 'assignment', per say." Robin nodded, leading the way outside.  
  
"Okay, first: we hide somewhere and wait for a trainer with rare and/or powerful pokémon to come waltzing down this path. Now, if we can just find that 'somewhere.'" Robin said, her brow furrowing as she contemplated. "Um.would there be a good spot?" Esther asked innocently, pointing to a tall oak tree. Robin looked to see the big tree behind her, its leaves as numerous as the stars in the sky. "That'll do." Robin replied, slithering up the trunk. "Be one second!" Esther announced, running behind another tree as she hurriedly put some clothes over her uniform. "Okay!" She said, jumping into the branches of the oak, the leaves rustling noisily as she did. "Ssssshhhhh.you want us to get caught?" Robin growled, her voice dripping with malice. "No." The black-haired girl stated nonchalantly. "Then shut up!" Robin sneered hatefully, trying to hide the jealousy in her voice, but to no avail. Esther's mouth curled upward as she snickered. "Oh, I get it." "What?" "You're jealous of me." "WHAT?!" "You're jealous 'cause I'm getting all the Boss's attention." "Why would I be jealous of you? He's my cousin for Pete's sake!" Esther's eyes widened. "You're his cousin??" "Yeah. I'm surprised he didn't tell you." Esther sighed as her ears flattened to pick up more sound waves. Why hadn't Giovanni told her this? Was he embarrassed? Angry? Or did he simply not care to tell her that? Esther heaved a sigh as she pondered these thoughts, when suddenly, her ears pricked up as she heard voices in the distance. "Female trainer, coming from the.west." She said, checking her compass. "Huh? What are you talking about?? I can't hear a thing." Robin asked, looking at the young Rocket suspiciously. "Shush." Esther whispered, flattening her ears even more. "Come on, Rai! Let's go beat the Viridian City Gym leader! With you at level 72, there's no way we can lose!" The feminine voice shouted encouragingly. "Oh, that's real smart. Announce your pokémon's level to the whole Team Rocket world, why don't ya'." Esther said exasperatingly. Robin nodded, for she know heard the voice. "Yeah, real smart. Not!" Robin said, sighing. "Rai, Rai Chu!" The pokémon announced, skipping alongside its trainer, who was a young girl-who couldn't have been over 13-with purple hair and emerald eyes. She was only about 5-foot, 3- inches, which Robin found amusing. "Ah. A stupid & short trainer: the best to 'relieve' of their 'responsibilities'." "Huh? Responsibilities?" Esther asked, not quite getting it. "I mean rob, you stupid little b!!ch (I think you can figure it out.). Esther frowned as a small tear formed in her eye. "Wonder what the Boss would say if you called me that in front of him?" "Probably get super-mad. But like I care." Robin answered, handing Esther a small headset. "Put it on. You're doing this one." 


	9. Chappie 8: THE BATTLE!

A/N: I moved this from the Misc./Game Crossovers section 'cause it wasn't getting enough reviews! Okay, R & R, ya'll!

**Chapter 8- ****The Battle**

"M-me?" Esther questioned. "Yeah, you!" Robin whispered angrily. "Um…okay!" Esther replied, putting on the small headset. "Good, now get out there and don't mess up!" Robin hissed, literally pushing her out of the tree. Esther landed on her feet, but it was obvious from the grimace on her face that the shock from landing on the balls of her feet really hurt. "Grrr…I'll show you, Robin. I'm sure to get promoted higher than you sooner or later; just you wait!" Esther hissed, shaking her fist at the tree. A second later she realized this could mess the whole thing up, so she turned to the trainer behind her. "Hey, I'm Allie Parker! Who are you?" The violet-haired girl asked, extending her hand. "I'm…uh…Nayru!" Esther said, shaking the trainer's hand. "Hey, Nayru! I was wondering if you'd like to battle me." Allie said, smiling. "Um…sure! How 'bout a six-on-six battle?" Esther asked, readying a pokéball. "Fine with me!" The other girl nodded, taking out a pokéball also. Robin watched them, flabbergasted. _She's going to get her butt kicked!_ She thought as she radioed Esther. "Bryars, what do you think you're doing?!" "You'll see." Esther whispered into the mike, throwing her pokéball into the arena. "Pokéball, go!" She cried as it was released from her hand. The ball hit the ground and burst open with a shimmering red light. Once the light subsided, her Dragonair, Cyanea, appeared and let out a shrill call, "Dragon!!" Robin whistled quietly, remembering how valuable those things were. "A-all right," Allie stuttered, seeing the Dragonair. "Pokéball, go!" She threw the ball to the ground, unveiling a Wartortle. "War!" The turtle announced happily. "Cyanea, thunderbolt, now!" Esther yelled. Cyanea happily obeyed and fired an electric spark at the enemy. It connected with its underbelly, causing it to fall over. Esther had won the first round. 

"Uggh…Wartortle, return!" Allie instructed, pressing the button on the ball. The water type disappeared into the ball. "Go, Rai!" She yelled. The Raichu ran out onto the battle field, glaring at its opponent. "Raichu, Thunder!" Allie yelled. Raichu jumped high into the air and fired a huge bolt at Cyanea. "Cyanea, quick, Dive underground!" Esther warned. Cyanea dug a hole into the ground just before the bolt hit the spot it had been standing in not long ago. "Oh boy…" Allie said. "Agility, Raichu!" Raichu ran about feverously, but it wasn't any use. Cyanea popped out of the ground right where Raichu happened to be at the time, and made the electric mouse go flying into a tree. Esther figured this would be a great time for the capture, so she threw a smoke bomb into the area. It exploded and filled the place with smoke. "*_Cough, cough_* Nayru, what are you *_cough_* doing?!" Allie wheezed. "Hah! You fell for it!" Esther exclaimed, throwing off her disguise. Underneath was her new uniform, complete with the blood red 'R' on the chest. As the smoke cleared, Allie saw the letter and gasped. "Team Rocke…" She was cut off, however, as Cyanea slammed into her, paralyzing her. "Good work, Cyanea!" Esther said, removing the trainer's pokéballs from her belt. 

After this, she raced off into the woods with her loot, only to be confronted by Robin. "Bryars, what do you thinking you were doing?!" Robin hissed angrily. Esther stepped back in surprise. "I…was only doing what I was suppose to be doing, right?" Robin frowned. "That was…" She then thought about what had just happened. "Actually, you did pretty well. You just messed up on one or two things, but you were successful, at least. Not the best capture by a Team Rocket member, but a pretty good one for a trainee." Robin continued, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"You think Gio…I mean, the Boss, will be impressed?" Esther asked, almost slipping up.

"Perhaps so. Come on, let's get to a safe spot and find out what we bagged!" Robin said. As they ran to a safer place, Robin secretly smiled. _She's better than I anticipated. Now we'll just have to see what we got!_

How is it so far? Totally cool? Totally dumb? Great for putting you to sleep without having to take a sleeping pill at night? ^_^ R & R!!


	10. Enter, Ganondorf!

Ganondorf's appearance  
By Cassandra Bryars  
I don't own Ganondorf, but I do own any special abilities Gio and Esther have! Got it? Good!  
  
"You can't defeat me, Esther! I have won this battle!" 16-year-old Giovanni John Rocket laughed. The two were in his gym, having a Pokémon battle: 3-on-3. The young brunette before him smiled. "You're not the only with tricks up your sleeve, Gio. Try this on for size!" With that, Hadassah Esther Bryars, commonly known as Esther to her cohorts, threw a pokéball into the arena. "Go, Cyanea!" She yelled as it hit the ground, a blinding light occurring and disappearing as quickly as it had happened, leaving a Dragonair in its wake. "Air!" The female dragon-type cried happily as it bounced about. Giovanni frowned as he returned his Rhydon. "Good job, Rhydon." He whispered to the pokéball, then, putting his hand into his jacket, he retrieved another pokéball. He threw it to the battlegrounds, revealing its contents. A Gyrados appeared, none to happy about being placed against a Dragonair, and a female one at that! The big fish looked to its trainer in disgust, only to be reprimanded. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Kick its butt, Gyrados!" Giovanni yelled. The Gyrados reluctantly turned back to its opponent, a fire in its eyes that said, "No matter if you're male or female, I'll crush you nevertheless!"   
  
Esther only smiled at this and took the initiative to attack. "Ice beam, Cyanea!" The Dragonair willingly obeyed and fired a beam at its oppressor. As it hit the Gyrados, it stood stunned for a second, and then regained its composure. "Return that attack with a Dragon rage, Gyrados!" Giovanni shouted. The dragon-like pokémon nodded and began to charge its attack. After 2 seconds, it fired it at the Dragonair, who tried to evade it, but was powerless to do so. Esther saw this and quickly thought of a plan. Suddenly, one came to her as the attack traveled towards her pokémon. "Cyanea, take the full force of the blast!" Though Cyanea thought her trainer was crazy, she obeyed without delay and jumped towards the winds, absorbing the full impact of them. The winds continued, throwing Cyanea out of them. The Dragonair landed on the ground, a bit dazed, but otherwise okay. "You okay, Cya?" Esther asked the pokémon, who nodded. Giovanni looked at Cyanea, then her trainer, then back at Cyanea, stunned. "How did she know that?" He asked himself, and then remembered her Godfather was Prof. Oak, who apparently had taught her many things about pokémon. He smiled. "Good job, Cyanea. You're the first to not get knocked out by his (referring to Gyrados) Dragon Rage. But this battle is far from over!"   
  
"Correct, Giovanni!" Esther yelled across the gym. "Blast the thing with your Thunder attack!" She instructed Cyanea, who nodded. As she charged the attack, Cyanea felt the energy for the attack build up in her system. Using her last ounce of strength, she released it onto her opponent. The lighting traveled across the stadium, hitting Gyarados in the stomach. It cried out in pain as the lightning connected and then fell face first onto the ground, its eyes doing that whirly-thing. Cyanea then collapsed from exhaustion, but its face registered happiness at defeating a very powerful pokémon. "Return, Gyrados!" Giovanni called, pressing the button on the Pokéball. "Come on back, Cya!" Esther said happily, recalling the pokémon. "Good job, Cya." She whispered as she replaced the ball to its resting place on her belt. "Both pokémon have fainted! Both trainers each have one pokémon left!" The announcer bellowed loudly.  
  
Esther immediately pulled a pokéball from her belt and threw it onto the ground. "Go get 'em, Persia!" She yelled as the classy cat popped out from its ball and meowed. Giovanni frowned. "Great...for pummeling practice." He muttered under his breath, pulling a pokéball from his jacket. "I have no choice." He said slowly, throwing the pokéball. "Machamp beat that cat!" He yelled as it appeared from the ball. As the Machamp flexed his muscles, Esther smiled. "Teach it some humility with a Psychic!" She screamed. Persia automatically obeyed, closing her eyes and focusing her brainpower. She then released it onto the Machamp, who immediately was hit: HARD. "Maaaachhhaaaammm---" The pokémon started, and then fainted. "Giovanni has no remaining pokémon; Esther is the winner!" The announcer-dude announced. "Yes! We won, Persia!" Esther rejoiced, running to her Persian and hugging it. "Great job, Persia!" "Perrrr..." The pokémon purred happily. Giovanni smiled. "Return, Machamp!" He said, recalling the fighter. "You've gotta stop flexing those muscles long enough to attack." He said to pokéball, knowing its occupant could hear him loud and clear. "Good job, Essie." He grinned, shaking her hand. "I always knew you were a great trainer. But you just won because of luck, got it?" He insisted, eyeing her. "Whatever, Gi..." Just then, Esther saw something behind him that shut her up quick. "What is it?" He asked. Esther responded by pointing at something in the air.  
  
Giovanni looked and saw what she was so scared about. A man with shoulder length orange hair was floating in the air, grinning evilly. "Ganondorf..." Was all Esther could say as she looked at him, bewildered. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my gym?" Giovanni asked the man as she spoke his name. "Why, I am Ganondorf, Gerudo King of Thieves, soon to be The King of all of Hyrule!" Ganondorf laughed. "As long as I'm a Hero of Time, you shall never be King of Hyrule!" Esther yelled angrily. "Huh?" Giovanni said, confused. "Later, Gio." She replied. "And, as for why I'm here, its because I seek the Triforce of the Sacred Realm! Now," Ganondorf said, landing on the ground and brandishing a huge sword. "Hand it over!" "Hand what over?" Giovanni & Esther asked, though Giovanni could tell that Esther knew what 'it' was the way she asked the question. Ganondorf frowned. "Don't play dumb with me, Estrella! Your boyfriend has an excuse to be ignorant of me. You, on the other hand, do not! You know of what I speak! The Triforce of Wisdom, so han...WHAT?!" Ganondorf started then stared at the back of his left hand. "Half of the Triforce of power...IT'S GONE?!?!" He exclaimed, and then turned angrily back to Esther. "Where is it, Estrella? I know you have it, so where is it?" "I don't have a clue to what you're talking about! I haven't touc..." Esther was then interrupted by Giovanni, who was staring at his left hand also.   
  
"What..." Was all Giovanni could muster as he stared in awe at the Triforce mark on his hand, which glowed yellow. "The third Hero of Time..." Ganondorf and Esther said together in disbelief. "That's where you're hiding it! Inside your boyfriend! Foolish girl! I kill to get what I want, and I have no problem killing him!" He said, pointing his sword at Giovanni. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not polite to point?!" Esther asked, changing to her True form (Heroine of Time form). "Alas, they (His surrogate mothers) did not, but who cares anyway?!" Ganondorf replied, thrusting his sword at Giovanni. Giovanni jumped out of the way, the blade narrowly missing him. Esther ran up to the two and pulled out Avenger and thus, the battle began.  
  
The battle commenced, full of blocks and near misses. As Ganondorf swung his sword at her full force, it connected with her own blade, sending her backwards. Instead of falling, however, she flipped backwards and landed upright, amazing Giovanni, who was trying to figure out a way to help her. "Essie, how can I help?" He yelled to her. "Right! Good point!" She yelled back, blocking a sword thrust while she did so. She closed her eyes and called upon the Triforce of Wisdom to interact with The Triforce of Power. "Din, arm him with your power and transform him into a Hero of Time!" She cried out, hoping it would work. A blue light surrounded Giovanni and Ganondorf and Esther watched as he transformed. When he was done, he no longer sported a red suit, but, instead, red armor with gold edges over a red tunic; a shield strapped to his left arm also. He had on white pants (similar to Link's) and brown leather Kokiri boots also. "What?!" He exclaimed as he saw himself. "You're the Third Hero of Time, Giovanni! Use your powers!" Esther yelled as Ganondorf swung his sword at her again, striking Avenger. "Powers?" He then somehow figured out how to use them and prepared to do so. A fireball appeared in his hand as he began focusing energy. "Fireball!" He yelled as he released it several seconds later and watched as it slammed into Ganondorf's back. The Gerudo King winced and turned his attention to Giovanni, who then felt very afraid. "Oh, help." He said to himself. Esther had her eyes closed tightly, as if in pain. Then, as she opened her eyes, Zelda & Link appeared. Zelda held little Josh and saw that this was a battle and quickly moved to safety. "So, the Triforce of courage appears also?" Ganondorf quipped, shaking his head. "You make it much too easy." He turned to Link, who was battle ready, and attacked him. Link's sword blocked it, and the battle between Link and Ganondorf resumed.  
  
Esther ran to Giovanni and smiled. "Good job." She said, and then pulled something out of the pouch on her side. It was small at first, but it then resized and turned out to be a big and heavy sword. "Your sword, Giovanni. It is called Bloodlust; you will learn to use it soon. But for now, you must do the best you can without lessons." She replied. "Come on, Gio. Let's beat 'em!" "Okay, Essie!" Giovanni yelled, running with her to the battle.  
  
2 hours later...  
  
"Ganondorf, give up! We're too much for you!" Link yelled, motioning to Zelda and Esther to get ready. Ganondorf, though tired and hurt, appeared to be still capable of battle. "Yeah, right!" Ganondorf said, swinging his sword again, this time at Esther, who hadn't had her guard up. Giovanni watched in mute horror as the sword slashed her arm and drew blood. "No!" He yelled, running up to Ganondorf and swinging at him. Ganondorf blocked as Link ran up to the two. "Tend to Esther's wounds, Giovanni! I'll deal with him!" Giovanni nodded and ran to Esther's side. She stood there, holding her hand to the wound in her upper arm. "Essie, don't stand! Sit down, Esther!" He said to her, fearing she would be injured again. "I'm...fine, Giovanni." She then used her healing powers to mend the wound. "See?" She asked, moving the now-healed arm. He smiled. "Okay." Esther then took to the air and nodded to Zelda, who nodded also. The two, combining their powers, brought Ganondorf into the air also. "We hereby banish you to Hyrule forever!" They yelled. A bright light occurred, and Ganondorf disappeared, yelling, "This is not the end, Estrella, Zelda, Link...Giovanni! We shall meet up again!" The 4 stared at where Ganondorf had previously been. "Finally. He won't bother us anymore, for as long as we are in this world..." Esther said quietly, and then gasped as she felt something happening to her body. "Es!" Giovanni yelled as she took to the ceiling and folded her wings. A cocoon formed around her, sealing her body. "What's happening to her?!" Giovanni asked Link, who smiled. "She's gained enough experience to have her wings change." Link said, stretching and putting his sword, which Giovanni later found out was the Master Sword, into its sheath. "How long will this take?" Giovanni asked, eyeing the blond boy. "Um...probably 24-48 hours?" Link guessed, shrugging. "Oh, that's nice, I..." Giovanni started, and then realized what Link had just said. "24 TO 48 HOURS?! THAT'S 1 OR 2 DAYS!!!!" He yelled. Link shrugged again. "Sorry, dude." Giovanni sighed. "Well, no matter how long it takes, I'm staying here until she emerges from that thing." And he did just that.  
  
**48 hours later...**  
  
Giovanni fought off fatigue as he sat with Persian and Persia, waiting for the cocoon to open. He had a made a promise, and he was going to keep it and try to stay awake too. He hadn't slept for at least 2 days, watching and waiting. Watching and waiting...  
  
Suddenly, the chrysalis began to shake about. He noticed this and watched as a sword struck the side of it, creating an opening. After a cut of about a yard, the sword was pulled inward, and two hands came out, pulling at the opening, trying to break free. Giovanni knew this meant one thing: The metamorphous was complete. He ran under the cocoon, holding his hands out to catch her with. She pulled her imprisonment apart and fell into his arms. Esther's wings were in a bubble of sorts that had fluid within it. He could tell that they were what he had always envisioned angels' wings to be like. Her eyes opened and looked into his. She smiled at him lovingly. "Thanks for catching me..." She said softly, kissing his cheek. "You're welcome." He replied tiredly, setting her down. Persia ran up to the young couple and brushed against Esther's leg. "Hey, Persia." Her owner said, stroking her fur. "So, when can you use those new wings?" Giovanni asked Esther, holding her close. "When the bubble pops and my wings dry." She answered.   
  
"About how long will it take?"  
  
"5-10 minutes for the bubble to pop, and 5-6 hours for the wings to dry." She replied, hugging him tightly. "I'm proud of you, Giovanni."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because of how well you fought against Ganondorf."  
  
"Oh." He stated, then handed her Bloodlust. "Can you keep this for me?" "Sure." She said, putting the sword in her pouch. "Now, what's this about me being a 'Hero of Time'?" He asked her as they left the room together. "Well…"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED IN "THE TRIFORCE TRILOGY, PART I"! 


End file.
